From a Mile Away
by Laelyn24
Summary: "No one's told you? We Minnesotans can smell a hockey player from a mile away." 1980 Olympic hockey team meets a girl - shocking, I know!
1. Smell Like Hockey Players

Disclaimer: Don't own Miracle as told by Disney.

A/N: I've changed some things around to work for my story - nothing huge, I don't think. Some of the hockey related things are factual while others are pulled from my own experiences with the sport. **Updated and Edited 2-24-14. **Cleaned up the story and fixed some errors.

* * *

><p>She was in the middle of serving one such table. Each boy had a packet laid out in front of them. Mara tried to be extra careful while balancing her serving tray. She placed pint glasses down on the table and then lowered a pitcher of beer very slowly, so as not to slosh it everywhere.<p>

"Anything else?" Mara asked with a pleasant smile. When all the boys shook their heads, she left them to their work and weaved her way back to the bar to prepare for her next table.

Glancing across the room as the newest arrivals took their seats, Mara made sure that her notepad and pen were in her apron pocket, and then she trekked back across the room and stopped at the end of the table. A few of the faces were familiar. They had been regulars at Sally's over the last couple of years, but graduated from the university in the spring.

"Welcome back fellas," she greeted them. "What brings you back so soon after graduation?"

"Mara!" Phil Verchota said, grinning broadly. "You are looking at members of the Olympic hockey team."

Mara grinned at their proud expressions and nodded. "I have a hard time believing Herb kept you around, Philly."

"Awe, come on, Mara," Verchota replied as the other boys chuckled, "don't be like that."

"Anyway…" Mara cut back in, looking around at the rest of the group, "What can I get you boys?"

"Three pitchers," replied one of the boys she did not know, but he looked familiar.

"Hey, aren't you Buzzy Schneider?" she asked, finally placing him as a Golden Gopher hockey alumnus.

"Yeah, do I know you?" he asked.

Mara shook her head. "Nah, but I've been following the Gophers for as long as I can remember. My grandfather always took me to games when I was younger. Now _you_ are a good hockey player!" She laughed at the offended look on Verchota's face. "Need anything else?"

A chorus of "no's" rang out with the exception of Verchota, "Yeah, how about a date?"

"Plenty of ladies out there, Philly," Mara replied, gesturing to the rest of the room as she walked away. "Take your pick."

While Mara filled up the second pitcher behind the bar, a fellow waitress came up next to her. "What the hell are Janny and Verchota doing here? I thought they graduated."

"Believe it or not, Kel, but they made the Olympic team – apparently that whole table did. I assume they are practicing around here. Herb Brooks is the coach."

"That's fantastic!" Kelsey said with a playful smile. "I do love hockey players."

Mara rolled her eyes and placed the final pitcher on the tray. She hauled them over and set the tray on the end table. Looking across the surface, she groaned to herself. Each of them had a packet of paper out on the table. She rolled her eyes and placed the pitchers in the middle of the table.

"What are you guys working on?" she inquired, passing out glasses.

"Coach gave us homework," Janny informed her. "It's some kind of psychology test."

"Did he say what for?"

"No. We're just supposed to get it done," replied one of the boys that Mara did not know.

"That's one hell of a way to celebrate the occasion," Mara replied with a sarcastic grin. "I'll leave you all to it then. Just let me know if you need anything – other than a date," she added quickly before Verchota could speak up.

"Need a refill?" she asked, picking up the empty pitcher on her way around to check the other tables. The four boys looked up from their papers, consulted one another, and then agreed on a second round. Mara peeked over one of the boy's shoulders, noticing the papers looked similar to the test that Verchota and his friends were working on. "You guys wouldn't happen to be on the Olympic hockey, would you?"

They all looked up at her, surprised. The one nearest Mara laughed. "As of a few hours ago, yeah we are. What gave it away?"

"The only other people in here working on a test are hockey players, so I figured it was a logical guess," she replied, nodding toward the other group of boys. "But you know… you do _kind of _have that hockey smell."

She smirked and walked away to get their refill. When she returned, the boy with the moustache asked, "What do you mean we have that hockey smell?"

"No one's told you? We Minnesotans can smell a hockey player from a mile away." She winked at him.

"How do you know we're not from Minnesota?"

Her eyebrows soared and she gave a little snort. "Really? The accent's a dead give-a-way, but your pal's shirt comes in a close second. No one from these parts would be caught dead wearing a Boston shirt."

"Fair enough," he replied with a satisfied nod.

"Well, anyway, congratulations on making the team. It's a shame you can't celebrate properly."

The boy wearing the Boston shirt spoke up. "It's awful – three hundred questions."

"Seriously? Yuck! Good luck, boys." Mara walked away shaking her head. As soon as she walked behind the bar, she was ambushed by Kelsey.

"So who are those boys?" she demanded. "And how come you always get the good tables?"

"I have no idea. Don't you make conversation with your customers?"

"Well, yeah, but yours always seem more interesting," Kelsey explained. Mara glanced over toward Kelsey's section: a few groups of girls, an older couple, and a mix of what looked like couples.

"Okay, fair point. The table I just came from, those boys are also playing on the Olympic team."

"Really? How do you know?"

"They smell like hockey players," Mara replied sarcastically. She glanced over at the Minnesota table just as a couple of new arrivals joined them. She smiled and cut in before Kelsey could comment. "Oh look, Robbie is here!"

"Rob McClanahan?" Kelsey practically squealed as Mara walked away. "He is so dreamy."

Unfortunately, Mara was not out of earshot when Kelsey finished her thoughts on Rob. She rolled her eyes in response to her boy-crazy co-worker. Nearing the table, she could not help but grin as she watched Rob and his friend greet the group of boys.

"Robbie McClanahan!" she said loudly. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

Pulling her into a hug, he replied. "I told you I was going to try out for this team."

"I didn't think you'd make it!" Mara jested. "I guess Herb knows what he's doing after all."

"I hope he does," Rob replied. "Oh, real quick, this is Mark Johnson." He gestured to the boy standing beside him.

"Nice to meet you, Mark."

"Did you meet all these other guys?" Rob asked, looking around the table.

"No, we weren't formally introduced, because someone doesn't have any manners," she told him, shooting a pointed look at Verchota. He narrowed his eyes back at her.

Rob pointed to each boy as he introduced them. "You know Janny. That's Buzzy Schneider. You know Christy. Bah Harrington and Mark Pavelich."

"Excuse me? Did you just call him 'Bah'?" Mara asked just to clarify.

"Family nickname," Bah explained with a shrug.

She nodded and Rob spoke up. "Mara's grandfather is the rink manager, so you'll probably see her around."

"Glad we got that out of the way, Rob. I wouldn't want anyone to think I was stalking them or something." Mara grinned. Needing to get back to work, she asked the two boys if they wanted drinks.

"Just a couple of glasses would be great!" Mark said.

After returning with the glasses, she leaned into Rob and quietly said to him. "I met some of your other boys over there."

"Yeah, I saw them when I came in."

"Boys from Boston, eh?"

"Yeah, Herb really knows how to make things interesting."

Mara chuckled in agreement and then went to check on the table from Boston. They were short one body at the table. "I see you lost one. Did he give up?"

"Yeah, he needed to get out of here."

Mara nodded. "Well, boys, my shift is nearly over. Do you mind if I give you the bill? Brenda should be taking over my tables; she'll take of you if you need anything else." They pooled their money together and handed it to her. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you boys around."

Moving around to her other tables to pick up their bills, Mara stopped at the Minnesota table last.

"Can I get you guys anything else before my shift is up?" she asked. Most of them shook their heads.

"Are you sticking around for a while?" Rob asked.

"Not tonight," Mara replied with a frown. "We'll have to catch up another time. I've been in since before the lunch crowd and I've got to be up early tomorrow."

"Come on, Mara, stick around," Verchota prodded, smirking. "We haven't even danced yet."

"Like I said earlier, plenty of other ladies around tonight, Philly," Mara added with a wink. "See you boys later."


	2. Resurfacing the Ice

A pulsating sound penetrated her waking mind. Mara slapped at the alarm clock until it switched off. With one eye open, she checked the time to be sure it had been set correctly. It had. It was five-thirty in the morning. She grunted loudly and debated what to do next. If she did not shower, she could lie in bed for another half-hour. It was a very one sided debate because a shower just wasn't in the cards this morning. It could wait until she got back.

Mara rolled out of bed thirty minutes later, threw her hair into a ponytail, and pulled on sweats. She trudged downstairs and into the kitchen where her parents sat, eating breakfast. As she fixed a bowl of cereal, she grumbled, "Morning."

"You better get moving," her mom scolded her, glancing down at her watch.

"I'll make it – don't worry," she replied with a mouth full of cereal, shoveling in as much as she could.

"You know, you could get a real job."

Mara frowned and slid away from the table. "I'd rather not have that discussion right now, Dad." Setting her bowl into the sink, she added, "I'm out of here. See you later."

"Have a good day, honey," her mom called out.

* * *

><p>"Cutting it close, Mara!"<p>

She gave the graying old man a hard look, but her expression quickly softened. "You're killing me with these early mornings, Pap."

"Tis the season," Frank Hudson said with a smile.

It's not even hockey season yet," Mara complained lightly as she followed her grandfather into the utility room. There was nothing he loved more than hockey season. He flipped the breaker for the rink lights.

"It's going to be a special season, Mara – a real special season. Just you wait."

Mara looked skeptical, but followed him back through the hallway. "I'm glad you see it that way."

This time they ended up inside the arena, standing on the curve at one end. The pair looked out across the ice. Her grandfather's keen eyes immediately picked up on the flaws in the surface.

"It looks like the figure skaters were in late last night. You'll have to fill divots before resurfacing the ice."

Mara frowned. "You're not going to help?"

Frank looked up at the ceiling. "I've got a row of lights out. I've got to figure out what's wrong with them – besides, you know what you're doing."

Parting ways with her grandfather, Mara headed to the shed that housed the Zamboni. She walked past the large green machine and stopped in front of the giant icebox. She pulled out a bucket of ice shaving to fill in the holes on the rink. Back out in the arena, she opened a door and stepped carefully onto the ice. She shuffled her way across the slick surface to the first divot. It was tedious work, but thankfully there weren't a whole lot. By the time she had finished the repairs, her grandfather had returned from the catwalk. He shook his head.

"It's an electrical problem – not just the bulbs. I'll have to get someone in to take a look." He surveyed Mara's patchwork while he talked. "Does the ice look a little wet to you?"

"Sure." She shrugged, eyeballing the length of the rink.

"Check the temperatures, inside and out, and then adjust the coolers a notch. Get the nets ready to go when you're done. I'm going to take Big Green for a spin. I think we're right on schedule for today."

Mara walked around the outside of the rink until she found the indoor thermometer. It read sixty-three degrees. That seemed to be sufficient, she thought. Next, she checked the refrigeration system. It was set at twenty-six degrees. Not bad, but with the ice looking wet, it could be a little colder. A crisp twenty-four degrees was now the desired temperature. The outside temperature was of no real concern. It wasn't like they would have the doors open, but she checked it out anyway. It was a balmy fifty degree morning – perfect for the beginning of August.

Sometimes Mara wondered if her grandfather realized how heavy the nets were. Dragging them toward the gate, she leaned against one and watched the Zamboni glide over the ice. It was a beautiful and serene sight to behold. When the resurfacing was done, Mara and Frank pushed the nets onto their moorings.

"Well, Pap, does anything else need to be done right now?" Mara queried as they closed the gate.

"No, I think we're ready." The old man glanced at his watch. "Right on time, like I said. I'm just going to give the electrician a call – hopefully he can fit us in today."

"Good; I'm going to head home for a bit – maybe shower."

"Be back around eleven-thirty. They break for lunch then."

Mara nodded and turned away. She would spend a few hours at home, come back to resurface the ice, and then head over to Sally's to work the late shift. It was all good unless her grandfather wanted her to help out again tomorrow morning. It would make for a long season with addition of a second team sharing the ice. Her dad's words from earlier came drifting back to her. She could always find another job. It wasn't a decision she was willing to make just yet.

Caught up in thought, Mara was startled by the sight of a tall figure lumbering down the hall in her direction. He had a duffle bag slung over one shoulder and a couple sticks in hand. She quickly recognized him from the night before and smiled politely, dying a little on the inside because she had hoped to leave before anyone else showed up.

"Locker rooms are this way?" he asked, pointing with the sticks in the direction he was headed.

"Actually, no," Mara corrected him, pointing behind him. "You passed it up just there. It's not well marked, I know."

"Thanks," he replied with a chuckle. "Mara, right?"

She nodded, wracking her brain for his name. "I remember you're the one with the funny name – right?"

"Yeah, that's me. It's actually John, if that helps."

"Lost already, Bah?" Verchota heckled as he neared them.

Mara rolled her eyes. It wasn't that she didn't like Phil Verchota. It was more so that he knew exactly how to grate on her nerves. "Well, I'll leave you boys to it. Have a good practice."

"What, you're not staying?" Verchota called after her.

"Not a chance," Mara replied, quickening her pace with the hope that she would not run into anyone else.

* * *

><p>It could not be helped. Mara climbed back into bed as soon as she got home. A couple more hours of sleep would not hurt, especially when she'd be working the late shift at the bar. When she finally work up and showered, she felt much more presentable to the world.<p>

She really loved helping her grandfather at the rink, and she would never miss spending time with him. There were no grandsons in their family, so the hockey tradition was passed down to Mara. She knew how important the game was to her grandfather, so she made every effort to be there when he asked. The simple fact was that Mara was not much of a morning person – never was and probably never will be.

The day had improved since the five-thirty wake-up call. The sun shone brightly overheard, which warmed up the air considerably. As she got into her car, Mara's thoughts drifted to the ice conditions and whether the lights had been fixed.

"The guy is coming this afternoon for the lights." Her grandfather filled her in on the morning escapades when she found him. It was always a game of hide-and-seek, trying to find him in the arena. "The team has got another thirty minutes on the ice. I want you to check temperatures again, and then do you mind handling the resurfacing?"

"Yeah, I'll do that," Mara agreed and then headed back to the shed.

It was the same routine as last time except she checked the outside first and then looked at the coolers. Everything looked reasonable. It was into the arena next to check the inside thermometer. She entered discretely from the Zamboni entrance and walked along the boards. After making a mental note of the temperature, Mara lingered for a moment to observe the practice.

These boys were fast, both at skating and at passing. It was almost hard for her to watch at such close proximity. She marveled at their agility and skill. The quick pace made it difficult to tell the players apart as she tried to spot Rob. She couldn't help but smile when Janny blocked a shot. There was a line change and a new set of bodies were on the ice.

Horror rippled through her body when two players suddenly collided heavily. One of the players fell sharply to the ground. It did not look like a friendly, practice-type hit at all. When the fallen boy found his feet, he dropped the gloves with his teammate. They both landed significant blows on one another. Mara couldn't look away as neither coach stepped in to break it up.

As the scuffle ran its course, other players tried to step into break them up, but they were pulled away. Finally after what felt like an eternity, the two players fell to the ice. It was only then that others came between them to end the brawl. Now that they were standing still, Mara was surprised to see Rob had been a part of the altercation. She also recognized his opponent from the night before – one of the Boston boys. She didn't stick around to see how it was resolved, because the Zamboni needed to be ready to go when they left.

With the rink cleared, Mara opened the gate and removed the nets. She was about to drive the machine onto the ice when someone jumped in alongside her. She let out a shriek.

"Robbie! What the hell?"

"Sorry, I thought you wouldn't mind." He chuckled at her unamused expression. "Since when does Frank let you drive?"

"Since this summer," Mara replied matter-of-factly, swinging the big contraption around the make the first pass. This move send a waft of odorous air passed her nose. She crinkled it and shouted, "Seriously? You haven't even showered yet!"

"It's not that bad," he replied as she gave him a hard shove.

"Oh, it's beyond bad." Her laughter was ladled with disgust. "It's downright foul!"

Rob laughed loudly.

"It's not funny. It's gross!" She scowled. "Isn't there something else you should be doing right now?"

He shook his head. "No. We've got a couple hours free. I've got some time to kill."

"Pap will kill you for distracting me," Mara replied, keeping her focus on the ice.

"Then don't mess up." Rob smirked.

As the Zamboni went around the curve, she was hit with another whiff of his sweaty uniform. She pulled a face. "Just a word of advice: showering is always a good idea."

"Alright, alright."

On a straight path, Mara took the opportunity to glance at him. His lip was noticeably swollen. She was about to ask him about it and then remember the fight. "I saw you had a little disagreement with your teammate. Want to talk about it?"

"You saw that?" Rob let out a short laugh. "Remember freshman year when we won the National Championship?" Mara nodded. "Jack O'Callahan played for Boston University. He got tossed out of the game after thinking I took a cheap shot at him. Apparently he never got over it."

"And you're supposed to play nice with him?"

"We're going to have to, I suppose," Rob shrugged, "if we want to make the final cut."

"Oh, so no big deal then," Mara replied with a laugh. The Zamboni passed over the last stripe of old ice. When the machine was parked back in the shed, the pair parted ways. "Please spare the rest of the world and go take a shower. That smell is going to be with me all day!"

Rob smiled. "Yeah, okay, I'm going. Will you be at Sally's tonight?"

"Working, yeah," she told him.

"Well, maybe I'll see you later then. I was thinking about getting some of the boys together tonight."

Mara grinned. "I can't wait."


	3. Vultures

The first full week of practices was exhausting for everyone, including Mara. She spent each morning with her grandfather, getting the rink ready for the Olympic team when they showed up. Sometimes she would stay the whole morning and other times she would leave for a couple of hours, returning at midday to resurface the ice. Mara fixed her schedule at Sally's to work the dinner or late night shift. It certainly made getting up each morning more difficult, but she was slowly getting used to the routine.

Sally's was pretty crowded that evening. Mara was convinced that word had gotten around about the Olympic team being in town. It was a Friday night, but there seemed to be more college girls trawling the place than was typical for a summer night. Still, she couldn't complain because they were keeping her busy and it would hopefully pay off at the end of the night in tips.

"Didn't Rob say that they would be in tonight to celebrate properly?" Kelsey asked, trying to pretend like it hadn't been on her mind for the last hour or so.

"Yeah, I guess," Mara replied as she filled a couple of glasses from the tap. "Why?"

"I overheard a few conversations about the team already."

Mara waited until she had finished pouring the beers and then looked at her friend. "I love that these girls come in here with the intent to meet these boys, but they don't even know who it is they are looking for. Three players came in about a half-hour ago and have gone unnoticed."

"Really? Where?"

"They're sitting in your section, Kelsey – table five. The one facing the door got in a fight with Rob on the first day of practice," Mara explained, indicating with a nod of her head. "I mean, it's not like the whole team is going to come in together and make an announcement about who they are. These girls are crazy, and most of them are wasting their time."

Maybe twenty minutes after that conversation with Kelsey, a large chunk of the team arrived together. Their size made it difficult for them to sit together, so of course they drew attention to themselves as they borrow chairs from around the room. Kelsey shot Mara an exasperated look from down the bar; big orders were not to Kelsey's liking, even if it was a table full of boys.

"Hey, at least they're in your section," Mara called down to her with an encouraging smile. She waved to Rob when he looked her way. She thought it might be a good idea to start filling pitchers for Kelsey, but with her luck they would each order individually. She made a round at the bar to see if any of her patrons needed refills.

A few minutes later, Kelsey was back at her side and said with a huff, "Five pitchers."

"It's least than I expected, actually. Be nice, Kel. They are finally getting a chance to celebrate."

"Well, if you're so happy for them, you can help," Kelsey replied, pulling out glasses from under the bar.

Mara checked down the length of the bar to ensure everyone was in good shape and then grabbed a pitcher. "Look at it this way: maybe you'll end up falling in love with an Olympic athlete. What brew do they want?"

"Whatever is cheapest," Kelsey responded, a smile pulling at her lips.

Mara grinned as she filled the container. "Figures."

"Do you think I have a shot with one of them?"

"About as much as any other girl in the room, I'd say."

That seemed to cheer Kelsey up considerably as the two girls walked over to the table. Mara tried to stay in the background and let Kelsey handle the group since she was their server, but it didn't last very long.

"Hey!" Bah said with a grin when he noticed Mara. "Aren't you the one stalking us at the rink?"

Mara rolled her eyes when a few of the boys chuckled, but she smiled as she handed out glasses. Ha, Ha. Very funny, Bah – I could accuse you of the same thing. You all are here a little too often."

"And here I thought we were being inconspicuous."

Mara laughed and set her final glass in front of Rob. She patted him on the shoulder. "All right, you boys behave yourselves tonight. Kelsey will take real good care of you."

"I don't make any promises," Jack retorted with a sly grin. His eyes roamed the room.

* * *

><p>"Mara, can I ask you a question?" Kelsey wondered out loud a while later. Mara nodded, encouraging her friend to continue.<p>

"How come you and Rob McClanahan aren't together?"

Mara knitted her brows and gave Kelsey a curious look. "Because we're friends."

"Nothing ever happened between you two?"

"We made out once, third year, but we were both pretty drunk." Mara walked a drink down the bar and placed it in front of the customer. She took another couple of orders before returning. "Look, I've known Robbie since Intro Math, freshman year. If something was supposed to happen between us, I think it would have over the last four years. If you're asking because you're interested, I say go for it. I think he'd like you."

Kelsey shook her head. "I was asking because I think the two of you would be cute together."

"He's just a friend," Mara assured her firmly. Her eyes wandered over to the table of boys. The scene had changed since they first arrived. The sight riled her ever so slightly. "Well, it looks like the vultures have stopped circling and finally moved in on their prey."

* * *

><p>Usually Mara preferred waitressing to bartending, but occasionally there were benefits to being stuck behind the bar all night. She had the best view of the entire room, and was kept well entertained by what was happening on the floor – particularly where the hockey players sat. Quite a few of them had been picked off, one by one, for dancing, but a few of them held down the table.<p>

A while later, she stole a look in their direction and noticed that a group of girls had settled in with them, talking very animatedly with the boys that remained. Mara chuckled to herself because a couple of the boys still look completely uninterested and bored, but the girls either hadn't noticed or didn't care.

New people took seats at the bar, so she went over to tend to them. Mara was mixing their drinks when she heard her name being called. Looking down the bar, she saw Rob standing at an empty space and beckoning for her. She acknowledged him with a nod and finished up the orders that had been started. When the customers were happy, Mara made her way over to Rob.

"More beer?" she asked, assuming he wanted refills.

"No – the vultures have landed," Rob said, sending a quick glance over his shoulder at his teammates.

Mara laughed. "I noticed."

"Would you mind doing us a favor?" Rob asked, looking hopeful. Mara gave a slight shrug and nodded. "We've got some girls that can't seem to take a hint. One of them has really latched onto Silky over there. He's not exactly interested."

"Trying to make nice with the Boston boys, eh?" Mara said, eyeballing the player that Rob was talking about. She recognized him from their first night in the bar. "He's pretty cute. I can see why she sunk her talons in. What's his name?"

"Dave Silk. You'll help then?"

"Sure, why not?" Mara replied nonchalantly. "Besides, isn't it my job to make sure the customers are happy? Just give me a few minutes and I'll be over."

After Rob returned to the table, Mara looked for someone to relieve her for a few minutes. She needed a break anyway. Brenda had been in the back washing dishes and agreed to relieve her for a little bit. Before making good on her promise to help, Mara stopped in the bathroom to check her appearance. She made a few adjustments and pulled her hair up. Leaving the bathroom, she crossed the room to where Rob and his friends sat. With a bright and playful smile, she locked her gaze on the one called Dave Silk.

"Hiya, boys!" Mara greeted them loudly, rounding the table to where her target sat. She had to be loud to draw the vultures' attention. Without any hesitation, Mara sat right down in Silky's lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. The look of surprise on his face was priceless. She pecked him on the cheek and whispered, "Just play along."

"I finally got a break," she announced, turning back the others. The lingering girls' expressions went sour after Mara's little display. She gave them a sweet little smile. "Sorry, ladies, but I'm taking this one tonight." Turning back to Silky, she noticed that his cheeks had turned pink. Brushing her thumb against his face, Mara chuckled. "Sorry, Davey, am I embarrassing you?"

Silky's lips were pressed together tightly, likely to keep from ruining the whole thing because Mara could see the laughter sparkling in his eyes. He silently shook his head. And then with an angry look of loathing from one of the girls, they finally took the hint and left in a huff.

Once they had retreated to the other side of the room, the table burst into laughter. When they had finally calmed down enough, Mara offered her hand to Silky and said, "I'm Mara, by the way."

He shook her hand with a smile. "Dave Silk."

"Robbie told me about your little predicament – just thought I'd help out."

"I appreciate it." He smiled again and that's when Mara realized that she was still on his lap. She quickly moved to the abandoned seat beside him.

"Works every time," she replied, looking across to Rob who was still in a fit of laughter.

"I lost count of how many times Mara came to my rescue during college," Rob told the boys.

"And mine," Janny interjected.

"She is a pro," Rob added. "I figured you wouldn't mind, Silky."

The Boston hockey player shook his head.

"Always happy to help scare away the vultures, boys," Mara replied. "Just let me know."

The boys laughed.


	4. What's the Deal?

Mara was sitting at the kitchen table, leafing through the newspaper, when the back door opened. She looked up over the top of the page to see her mother walk in.

"You're home?" Mrs. Hudson stated with surprise.

"One of the girls is covering the first part of my shift tonight."

"I feel like I haven't seen you in weeks. If it weren't for all the laundry piling up, I might have thought you moved out." She offered Mara a half-smile.

"I know. It's been a grueling work schedule these last few weeks, but I don't mind so much. I've got a whole day off from Sally's on Friday and the team is off on Saturday, so I won't have to go to the rink. It will be a nice break."

"Well, I mind. I never get to see you anymore." Her mother sighed. "I'm running to the grocery store. Do you want to come?"

There wasn't anything else to do, so Mara shrugged and replied, "Sure."

"I am glad I stopped by for the list then."

When they were in the car and on the road, Mrs. Hudson asked, "So, anything interesting going on in your life that I am missing out on?"

"I don't know," Mara said automatically, but then she reconsidered. "I guess there are a few things."

Mrs. Hudson chuckled at her daughter's attempts to be vague. "Care to share any of it with your old mom?"

Thinking carefully about what would interest her mother the most, Mara said, "I know you met him a couple times, but do you remember Rob McClanahan – played hockey for the Gophers?"

"I do. He was the good looking one you used to run around with on occasion."

Nodding, Mara said, "Yes, him. He's the same one you told me that I would make pretty babies with."

Mrs. Hudson gave a short snort of laughter. "I remember!"

"Well, he is still around and playing for the Olympic team. He and his teammates have been coming into Sally's a lot. So, that's been interesting."

"Does that mean I still have a chance at beautiful grandchildren?" Mrs. Hudson laughed at the incredulous look at Mara was giving her.

"Mom! I would hope you would think my babies are beautiful, no matter who I end up with," Mara replied, shaking her head. "But, no, Robbie and I are still just friends."

"Well, what about the other boys?"

"I don't know, Mom," she said, exasperated. Maybe tagging along with her mom had been a bad idea. "You asked what was interesting in my life – I figured knowing a whole team of Olympians took the cake."

"You're right. It does," Mrs. Hudson replied, pulling into an empty parking space.

Mara only hoped the conversation would shift to fruits and vegetables.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Mara had the front of the Zamboni open to do the daily inspection of the mechanisms to ensure they were running safely and properly. She was testing for leaks when someone shouted her name inside the room. It startled her, causing her to bank her head off the machine. Rubbing the sore spot, Mara walked around to the shed's entrance to see who was there.<p>

"Did I scare you?" Rob asked, watching her carefully.

"Yeah – thanks. I hit my head."

"Sorry," he replied, looking concerned. "Are you all right?"

"I'll live," Mara retorted. "What are you doing in here?"

"Do you work Friday night?"

"No, I have the night off."

"Perfect!" Rob said with a smile and explained further. "We leave on Sunday for a few weeks in Europe. It's the start of our exhibition schedule. Anyway, some of the boys want to go out after practice. I thought you and Kelsey might want to come out with us?"

Mara considered the invitation. "I'm in. I'll have to ask Kelsey; it will depend on her schedule. Where do you plan to go?"

"Probably Sally's." Rob shrugged.

Groaning, Mara replied pointedly. "I work there – I'd rather not hang out there."

"Fair enough," he agreed. "I'll talk to the boys about going somewhere else. I'll let you know on Friday morning."

"Sounds good." As Rob turned to walk away, Mara called out, "Hey, Rob!"

He looked back at her. "Yeah?"

"Thanks for the invite."

'No problem." He smiled. "Oh, by the way, nice goggles!"

Mara felt her face flush as Rob walked out of the shed with a huge grin on his face. Did she really just have an entire conversation while wearing protective eye wear? Reaching up, she pulled them off, mortified. How did she not realize that they were on her face? She grumbled angrily to herself and then laughed, thanking God it had only been Rob to witness it.

* * *

><p>"Where is this place?" Kelsey asked while she applied some lipstick.<p>

"Downtown," Mara replied, trying on a third shirt. She still was not completely satisfied with the outfit. She looked in the mirror. "What do you think, Kel?"

"Depends on what you're going for?"

"Well, I don't want to look like a vulture; I want to look better than one," she said matter-of-factly. The two girls dissolved into laughter.

Kelsey motioned to a shirt that was lying on the bed. "Try that one."

"Yeah, I think that will do," Mara exclaimed and Kelsey affirmed the choice. They were just finishing up when the doorbell rang. Mara groaned and hurried to collect her handbag. "Shoot. We should have done this at your house."

There was movement downstairs, which meant one of her parents was going to answer the door. This did not bode well, whichever parent it was. As Mara and Kelsey moved into the hallway, they heard the door open and Rob's voice carried up the stairs as he greeted Mrs. Hudson. Mara's mother welcomed him into the entry way, remarking about how good it was to see him and offering congratulations for making the Olympics. The two girls arrived before any further conversation could take place.

"Bye, Mom," Mara said quickly. "I'll be home later."

"Okay, be safe!" Her mother watched them out the door, waving to the boys who waited in the car. "You kids have fun!"

Mara groaned, embarrassed, and climbed into the front seat next to Mark Johnson. Kelsey slid into the back where Bah and Ralph Cox sat. All of them waved back at Mrs. Hudson. Rob gave her one last wave before ducking into the car.

"Your mother seems like a lovely lady," Bah said as they pulled out of the drive way.

"She is, and she excels at embarrassing me," Mara told him. "I am glad my dad didn't answer the door though."

"My dad would have had his shot gun out. So, it was probably better that we got picked up at your house, Mara," Kelsey admitted.

* * *

><p>Some of the boys should already be here," Rob told them as they walked in the door.<p>

The place was already crowded. Music was blasting and people were everywhere. It took them a minute, but Ralph finally spotted the others across the room. As they weaved between bodies and tables, someone grabbed Mara from behind and nuzzled her neck with his face. She was just about to introduce her elbow to his stomach when she heard his voice in her ear.

"Mara – it's Jack. Help me out for a sec, okay? Look over by the end of the bar."

Her eyes traveled across the room to where a girl stood with her hands crossed over her chest. She sent a death stare their way. Taking that as her cue, Mara smiled and spun in Jack's arms, giving him a big hug. They clasped hands and Jack led her over to the rest of the group. He dropped her hand as soon as they reached the table. Mara promptly punched him in the arm and yelled,

"Don't ever do that again, Jack! You scared me half to death!"

"Yeah, OC, what the hell?" Bah demanded. "I almost clobbered you – until I realized it was you."

"Sorry," he said with a smile, checking back to where he had left the other girl. "We weren't even here five minutes when that girl accosted me. I owe you one, Mara."

"You sure do. I almost decked you."

"Well, that would have made things interesting," Jack replied with a smirk. "Come on, I'll buy you and Kelsey a drink."

When they were finally settled in, the girls with their drinks and the boys with pitchers of beer, conversation turned to hockey. The boys talked about how hard they had been practicing. Each of them complained about something that hurt. Between the drills that Herb was having them to do on the ice and the strength training off, they were all being pushed to their limits.

"I think Rammer spent two hours in the tub this afternoon," Ralph said, shaking his head. "It's been brutal out there."

"Hey, how come he isn't here?" Mara asked suddenly, looking around. Verchota and Pav were the most recent arrivals.

"He's only nineteen," Rob replied.

"Oh, geez, that's right. He was a freshman last year," she said, feeling a little foolish.

"All this talk about practice, I think we need shots," Jack announced suddenly.

Mara and Kelsey shared a look that agreed this was going to be an interesting night. While a couple of the boys went over to the bar, the two girls stole away to the bathroom.

"Okay, Mara," Kelsey said as she reapplied her lipstick. "Which one is it for you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I just want to make sure we aren't interested in the same guy."

"Well, who are you interested in?" Mara asked, curious as to why Kelsey was so concerned.

Kelsey blushed and grinned. "Bah."

Mara laughed. It wasn't who she expected, and yet, she wasn't surprised. "You've got nothing to worry about from me." She messed with her hair a bit, hoping that Kelsey was appeased and wouldn't push her for an answer. It was wishful thinking on her part.

"Well, who is it for you then?"

"Honestly, I don't think any of them. Yes, a few of them are endearing, but I can't say one sticks out in particular."

"So, you'll make the rounds, is that what you're saying?" Kelsey teased

"That is not what I meant," Mara replied defensively.

"So, you're telling me that if Rob wants to make out with you at some point tonight, you'd turn him down?"

Mara shrugged. "I don't know, Kelsey. Quit harassing me!"

"All right, all right."

When the girls returned to the table, there were some new additions to the group, which wasn't surprising; it never seemed to take the boys long to attract the ladies. Shot glasses were set out around the table in front of everyone, including the seats that Mara and Kelsey had abandoned.

"It's about time, girls," Jack quipped as they sat down. "Bottoms up."

They all slammed back the liquor. It was disgusting and burned Mara's throat. She made a terrible face and spluttered, "What the hell was that?"

"Tequila!" Jack replied enthusiastically.

Mara wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as the boys laughed. She took a sip of her mixed drink to chase away the foul taste in her mouth. "That was the worst tasting tequila I've ever had!"

"That's because it's cheap," Silky explained with a smile.

As the evening wore on, the boys were slowly claimed for dancing. Kelsey, who had been drinking everything put in front of her, finally mustered up the courage to ask Bah to dance. They had been out on the floor for at least three songs with no signs of parting. Mara smiled as she watched her friend and then turned back to the conversation.

"That blonde at the table in corner has been staring you down for the last ten minutes, Mac," Rizzo told him. "Go ask her to dance."

"Eh, she's not really my type," Rob replied with a shrug.

Mara rolled her eyes. "He didn't say you had to marry her."

"Well then, what is your type?" Rizzo asked Rob, scanning the room again.

Mara let her eyes wander across the room until she came to a girl who looked vaguely like one of Rob's old girlfriends.

"_That_ is his type," she said loudly, pointing out the girl to them. The boys turned their heads to look, and Rob groaned, sliding down in his seat.

"Do you know her?" Ralph asked, taking another look at the girl.

"I dated her," Rob grumbled. "I should probably go say hello now that you all have been staring."

"You don't have to do that, Robbie," Mara informed him, but he was already out of his seat. She sighed as he made his way across the room. "He won't be back for a while boys."

"Good job, Mara!" Rizzo said with a grin.

"I don't know why we're looking for girls around this place when we've got a perfectly good candidate sitting right here," Ralph suddenly said. "Come on now, Mara, you're not going to sit here all night, are you?"

Mara tried to look indignant as she eyeballed Ralph, who was sitting across from her. "Well, no one's bothered to ask me to dance."

"Care to dance, pretty lady?" he asked. He wiggled his eyebrows and smirked.

A chuckle rose in her throat at his mock suave demeanor. "Okay, Ralph. Why not?"

As Ralph got up and moved around the table to meet her, Verchota spoke up, looking a little crestfallen. "Hey! You're going to dance with Coxy, but you never dance with me?"

"I'm always working when you ask me, Philly," Mara replied.

"Oh, right,"Verchota said, realizing his blunder.

"Shall we?" Ralph asked, offering his elbow to Mara. She accepted and they strolled out onto the dance floor. They danced for a few beats, he spun her around, and then asked, "So, what's the deal with you and Verchota?"

"Me and Verchota?" Mara repeated with a laughed, surprised by the question. "That's definitely a first. It's usually, what's the deal with you and Mac?"

Ralph shrugged. "You and Verchota seem to banter back and forth a lot. I just wondered if there was any history there."

"We've known each other about three years now, but I got to know him better about a year and a half ago when I started at Sally's. It's how I got to know most of the guys from the Gophers team. Sally's is their favorite place to hang out, if you haven't figured that out already. Philly just always seems to know how to push my buttons."

"And you and Mac?" Ralph prodded.

"Met in a class, freshman year, and had some mutual friends as well. We were around each other a fair amount over the last four years. He's a pretty good friend. Is there anyone else you care to know about?" Mara queried lightly.

"If I think of anyone else, I'll be sure to ask," Ralph said with a wink as the song ended. They danced together a couple more times, but then were interrupted.

"All right, Coxy, I'm cutting in," Verchota said, weaseling his way between the two.

The music suddenly slowed down considerably. Ralph left them with a devious little smirk on his face. Verchota pulled Mara close, stepping on the tip of her shoe in the process. She winced.

"You like Coxy?" Verchota asked after a few seconds of awkward silence, which was unusual between the two of them.

Mara shrugged. "Seems like a nice guy."

Verchota nodded, but there seemed to be something else on his mind. "So, what's happening between you and Mac?"

"Seriously?" Mara said angrily, pushing away from him. "Why is everyone so concerned? Can't we just be friends?"

"Mara – Mara – I'm sorry!" Verchota said quickly, trying not to make a scene. He had no idea that would hit a nerve for her. He grabbed her shoulders, trying to draw her back. "Come on, just dance with me. Come on!"

Mara gave him a hard look and then complied with some reluctance.

"What the hell was that about?" he asked when she had calmed down.

She hesitated, looked up at him, and then spilled. "I've had a lot to drink, but it's mostly because everyone keeps asking about me and Rob. Ralph just asked the same question. He doesn't know us, so it didn't seem so bad. I wasn't expecting you to ask. Rob and I are acting no different than usual."

Verchota chuckled. "Fair enough."

When the song ended, they both realized that it was time for a break from dancing. Before Mara could get away Verchota grabbed her arm and pulled her away from their destination.

"Look, before we go back to the others, there is a reason I asked about you and Mac." He seemed more serious than usual, which caught Mara off guard.

"Phil, you're a really nice guy and I like the relationship we have, but…"

"Really? You wouldn't go for me?" he said, diverting a little. She shook her head as he got straight to the point. "Well, what about Silky?"

"What about him?"

"You did a real number on him a couple of weeks ago when you helped him with the vultures. He hasn't been quite the same since." Mara gave him a skeptical look to which he added, "I'm serious! You should have seen the way he was looking at you and Coxy."

"You better not be messing with me, Phil," Mara replied. "I didn't think you were that much of an ass."

"I'm not! I just thought you should know, because I don't think he'll make a move with Mac around."

"Thanks, I guess," Mara replied, uncertain about what she should do with the information. It was a little hard to believe with Phil Verchota being the source, but she would take it in stride. A few of the boys heckled them when they finally returned to the table.

"Back so soon?" Jack asked, grinning mischievously.

"My feet need a break," Mara explained. "Philly here's got two left feet."

"Well, you're no ballerina," Verchota shot back.

Now that was more like the Phil Verchota she knew and loved. It eased her mind a little, so she grinned and looked at her empty glass. "I need a drink!"

Jack picked up the pitcher and poured the beer for her. "You were right, by the way."

"Usually, yes," Mara replied, taking a sip. "But what was I right about this time?"

"You said Mac wouldn't be back if went to talk to that girl," Jack explained, nodding to where Rob stood chatting her up at the bar. "He hasn't been back since."

She looked over to confirm. At least he didn't look miserable. "Well, he better come back sometime. He is my ride home."

"I sure _someone_ would be happy to give a ride home, Mara," Verchota voiced loudly, shooting a look at Silky behind his back. Mara ignored him and gulped down some more beer.

"I think we could use another round of shots," Jack declared. He and Pav went to retrieve them.

"Let's find you guys some girls," Mara announced with a playful grin, looking around at the remaining boys, hoping to distract Verchota. This was one of her favorite games to play.

It went on for some time as Mara attempted to guess each boy's type of girl based on who was in room. Jack apparently had gotten distracted because it was a while before he came back with the shots. They downed the liquor and Mara immediately regretted it. She coughed a little because burned going down and then proceeded to find another victim.

"Okay, who's next?" Mara asked, eyeing up who was left.

"Silky!" Verchota yelled, slamming his shot glass down on the table. He smirked pointedly.

Slowly, she slid her gaze over to where Silky sat. He was leaned back casually in the chair with his arm draped over the one next to him. He looked back at her with some interest. He offered a small smile when she caught his eye. She snapped her gaze back, gave Verchota a determined look, and then scanned the room for some options.

"Okay, I got one for you, Silky. She's three tables over, pink shirt, and talking to the girl with glasses."

All the boys followed her direction and description, had a look, and then turned back to see if Silky approved. He shook his head slowly. Mara frowned and avoided eye contact with Verchota. She looked around for another potential match.

"Try the blonde in the blue halter top, down the bar from Robbie." She was certain she had it this time. All eyes swept to the girl and then back to Silky, who shook his head again. Mara drew in a calming breath because she could just feel Verchota's ego swelling with each of his teammate's rejections.

"Third time's a charm," Mara said, exasperatedly. She considered Silky for a minute – his eyes lit up – and then turned in her chair to see what she was missing behind her. Turning back, she announced emphatically, "Table on the right of the jukebox – green shirt."

He didn't even bother to look at Mara's suggestion when he shook his head. His eyes stayed trained on her the whole time. Mara pursed her lips and her nostrils flared. She was really regretting the last shot as the effects were beginning to take hold.

"I've got one for you, Silky," Verchota practically shouted. He leaned on the table, looking might proud of himself. A couple of the other boys had tell-tale expressions written all over their faces, which suggested that Verchota wasn't the only one suspicious of Silky's interests. As soon as Silky caught on, his expression fell slightly. "Three seats over – across the table – black shirt."

All eyes were on Silky. Mara's slowly drifted in his direction to gage a response. There was a pink flush to his face that wasn't there before. He didn't move one way or the other for a moment. Then he looked over at his teammate.

"Screw you, Philly."

"Just trying to help you out, man!" Verchota responded, smiling broadly.

"What's going on?" Rob asked, coming up behind Verchota. He had heard the tail end of the conversation.

"Nothing," Mara huffed, quickly standing up. "Come on, Sliky. Let's dance before Phil wets himself with excitement."

As they walked away, the other boys put their heads together to fill in Rob. Mara seethed with embarrassment, but after a moment realized that it was probably much more so for the boy at her side. Thankfully, they were stalled for a moment when they crossed paths with Kelsey and Bah. The pair were laughing about something.

"Mara!" Kelsey shrieked, clearly intoxicated and leaning on Bah for support. "Isn't this just the best night ever? I'm so glad you invited me along." She pulled Mara closer and tried to whisper in ear, but was not capable of speaking in a quiet voice. "He is so cute!"

Chuckling as her unsteady friend leaned heavily against her, Mara looked at Bah. "I think she's had enough drinks for one night."

Kelsey waved her hand in front of Mara's face dismissively. "No, no, no. Not Bah. Him!" She pointed a finger in Silky's face. "He is _really _cute!"

"Hey!" Bah explained, pulling Kelsey back to his side.

"Well, of course he's not cuter than you." Kelsey giggled as Bah pulled her toward the table.

"Come on," Silky said gently, taking ahold of Mara's arm. "She'll be fine."

She looked back at Kelsey and Bah once last time before letting him lead her onto the dance floor. It was a slow song, so there was a few beats of awkward silence once they were linked together.

"I'm sorry!" They both said at the same time, trying to alleviate the silence.

"Verchota is such an ass," Mara said, shaking her head.

Silky nodded his agreement and replied with a smirk. "Well, he is from Minnesota."

"You better watch yourself, Boston boy!" Mara replied with a chuckle.

They stayed together for a few more songs, wanting to avoid the taunts from the others as long as they could. The teasing was inevitable given the circumstances. But in that short amount of time, Mara discovered that she did not mind the company of Dave Silk. He was not quite as boisterous as some of the other boys – more the strong, silent type. It was surprisingly refreshing to have a conversation that was not overly laced with sarcasm and teasing. Silky was also easy on the eyes, which didn't hurt either.

The pair finally parted when Ralph came over to tell them that Rob's car was leaving. Mara felt a little disappointed, but then she remembered the state that Kelsey was in and realized it was for the best. She was definitely glad that she had the whole day off tomorrow. As they weaved their way back to the table, Ralph leaned in and asked Mara quietly, "So, what's the deal with you and Silky?"

Mara rolled her eyes and gave a small shrug in reply. It was far too early to have an answer to that question. Everyone was on their feet, which indicated that Rob's car wasn't the only one leaving. Silky stayed at her side while the others argued about who was sober enough to drive.

"Can I walk you to the car?" he asked quietly while the others were preoccupied.

She nodded. There were a couple catcalls and whistles as Silky followed Mara to Rob's car. He opened the door for her as she crawled in beside Kelsey and Bah, who were busy cuddling in the backseat. Ralph had apparently refused to in the back with them. Mara looked out the open window at Silky and smiled.

"See you in a few weeks, I guess," he said, returning the smile.

"I suppose so," she agreed. "Good luck against those European teams."

Mara watched him walk over to where Rizzo had parked. It wasn't at all what she expected to happen that night – not that much had happened. It was an interesting development none-the-less. At least Kelsey seemed to be enjoying herself immensely. Avoiding the spectacle that was next to her, Mara positioned her gaze forward. Rob caught her eye in rearview mirror and quirked an eyebrow. She looked away quickly, blushing.


	5. Nora

Hazel eyes and an adorable smile was apparently all it took to render Mara quite smitten. It had been a little more than a week since that night, but she couldn't seem to get Dave Silk out of her head. Mara felt like she was getting a little carried away with all these thoughts of a guy she barely knew. This could not go on for another two weeks; it would drive her mad.

Fortunately, classes had started at the university, which meant Sally's was a zoo most evening. Homework seemed less important on this side of the semester when everyone was getting reacquainted with friends after a long summer. Mara did not mind being busy. It kept her mind off certain hockey players of the Boston variety. The only hiccup in her attempt to keep a level head was Kelsey, who had also become quite smitten with her choice of Bah Harrington. It was all she wanted to talk about when the two of them worked the same shift.

The scene at Sally's was relatively subdued around dinner time, midway through that second week. Mara was behind the bar, wiping out glasses to prepare for the crowd that evening. She felt like her mind had finally settled down about Silky. In fact, she was beginning to feel a little foolish about being so enamored after one night that consisted of three dances and a walk to the car. She looked forward to the boys return, not only to follow up with Silky, but because the bar felt a little empty without them taking up six tables to themselves.

"Hey, bar wench, what does a girl have to do to get a drink around here?"

If they voice hadn't been a familiar one, Mara would have been furious by the choice of words. She paused her cleaning, rolled her eyes toward the end of the bar, and said nonchalantly, "Take you top off."

Mara burst into a gale of laughter at the look of surprise on the other girl's face. The two other patrons sitting at the bar gave her a curious look as she passed them to greet her old friend.

"Nora, I was kidding!" Mara hissed, looking equally surprised when her friend made a move to peel off her shirt. "Besides, you'd give that old guy at the other end a heart attack if you did. What the hell are you doing here?"

"Looking for a decent drink," Nora replied, stating the obvious, and then confessed. "I started graduate classes at Augsburg, so I thought I'd come see if you were still working at this dump."

"Yep, I'm still here – much to the delight of my parents," she said and then smiled. It had been a while since they last spoke, but Mara vaguely remembered a conversation about graduate school. "I'm so happy for you though, pursuing higher education and all."

"Thanks, Mar. Now how about that drink? I had my first class today and it is going to be a hell of a semester. Make it a strong one."

Knowing a few of Nora's usual requests, Mara didn't bother to ask for particulars. She busied herself with creating the perfect concoction.

"So, what's new with you?" Nora asked, taking a sip and nodding her approval.

"Not a whole lot, honestly. I've been helping out my grandfather at the rink almost every morning. I'm working evening and night shifts here. I've hardly seen my parents in the last month or so, which in some ways is a blessing. I'm busy, but not all that exciting."

"When's your next day off?"

"Saturday, I think."

"Perfect! We'll hit the town and bring a little more excitement into your life," Nora promised with a wily glint in her eye.

Mara smiled. There was no doubt that they would have a good time. She had been friends with Nora Barker since the eleventh grade when Nora's family moved into town from North Dakota. They roomed together in college, which made Mara's life all the more interesting. Nora was a bit of a loose cannon, but she took her studies very seriously. She was smart enough to know when to have fun and when to crack down and be serious. Nora was involved with a paid internship over the summer in California, but the two girls tried to talk over the phone every couple of weeks. Mara was a little surprised that Nora hadn't mentioned moving back to Minnesota. At this point, she didn't want to press the matter; she was just glad to have her friend back.

* * *

><p>Nora definitely brought more excitement back into Mara's life. When they could manage between their schedules, they got together for something fun. It made the days pass quickly and soon it was time for the Olympic team to return stateside.<p>

"Mara, where are you?"

"In the cooler room, Pap!" Mara yelled back. A few seconds later her grandfather appeared through the door. "Just checking the coolers like you asked."

"Good. It could probably come down a degree or two," he said, glancing at the thermometer. "The ice needs a little patchwork, if you don't mind. We've got the Olympic team back on this afternoon."

It was cold inside the room, but Mara sudden felt chilled. She gaped at the old man. Had three weeks passed already? She couldn't explain why, but she suddenly felt very nervous about seeing them all again. Anything could have happened during their time aboard.

"You okay, sweetheart?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. The ice will be ready to go."

Mara stared at the door for a minute after her grandfather left. She needed to calm her nerves before operating the Zamboni. With Nora as a distraction, this day had kind of snuck up on her. Thinking about the night ahead helped. Nora had some grand scheme for their night ahead, but wouldn't share it with Mara until she picked her up. Trying to guess where they would end up gave Mara plenty to think about.

* * *

><p>That evening was easily the worst shift she'd ever worked. It was silly, but she was on edge the whole time, expecting the boys to wander in at some point. There was no explanation for her nerves, but they were getting the best of her that evening. Not one person knew about how often Silky had crossed her mind, except her, but what if he hadn't thought about her at all? It would crush her spirit ever so slightly if he had changed his mind over the last few weeks. She didn't want that to happen. It also didn't help that Kelsey was all sunshine and daisies because she'd get to see Bah again.<p>

Mara was wiping down a table when someone came up behind her and slapped her backside. Two immediate reactions overwhelmed Mara: the urge to vomit up all the nerves that she had been suppressing all day and fury. She whirled around and nearly wretched with relief as Nora stood there, smirking.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself." Nora chuckled. She observed her friend for a moment and then frowned. "Are you feeling okay? You look really pale."

Mara pulled herself together and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine – you startled me is all. I'm just finishing up my tables, but I have to wait until Jess gets here." She noticed a shopping bag in Nora's hand. "What's that?"

"I stopped by your house and got a few things for tonight," Nora replied casually. "Your mom was home and let me root through your room."

As Mara was about to reply, she saw the door open out of the corner of her eye. It made her heart skip a beat, but it was just Jess. Relief washed over Mara for the hundredth time that evening as she went to greet her co-worker.

Now off duty, Mara followed Nora into the bathroom. Nora pulled out a change of clothes from the bag and demanded that Mara put it on. When she emerged from the stall, Nora attacked her with eyeliner and mascara.

"Perfect!" Nora said, admiring her work in the mirror. Mara blinked, grateful that neither of her eyes had been gouged out in the process.

"Now, will you tell me where we are going?" she asked while Nora stuffed everything back into the shopping bag.

"There's a new club across the river." Nora grinned, handing her a tie for her hair. "Put your hair up. I thought the place was worth a look. Ready?"

"Yep," Mara replied, grateful to be heading out the door. Being ambushed by Nora had eased her mind some. They might just make a clean get-a-way. Mara waved goodbye to Jess, but as they headed for the door someone stepped in front of them, blocking their route. She groaned inwardly when she realized who it was.

"Damn, Mara, I almost didn't recognize you."

Mara put on a smile and looked up at him. "Hiya, Ralph. Welcome back."

Ralph grinned. "Thanks. Some of the boys are sitting on the far side of the room. You should join us."

"Thanks, but we were just…"

"…looking for a table to join," Nora cut in, giving Ralph a friendly smile. Mara stared at her. "I'm Nora, by the way."

"Ralph Cox. It's nice to meet you, Nora. Yeah, go on over. I'll be there in a minute."

After Ralph left, Mara peered around Nora to see who they'd be dealing with. Nora was doing the same, but for much different reasons. "What the hell, Nora, I thought we were going to check out the new place across the river?

"Change of plans," Nora replied with a smirk, obviously pleased by her options across the room. "You failed to mention the new friends you've made, but we will have that conversation later."

When she realized that Mara was not going to take the lead, Nora pulled her friend through the room by the elbow. Brenda was there, taking their order. When the two girls were spotted, a chorus of greetings erupted. Mara introduced Nora. Mark and Buzzy stood, offering the two girls their seats. Nora sat down next to Jack which landed Mara beside Silky. She hoped it wasn't obvious to everyone else, but she felt very awkward sitting beside him. Mara looked around at each of the boys. They all looked beat. It was probably a result of a tough schedule and jet lag.

"You all look terrible," Mara said plainly. "Was Europe that bad?"

"It had its ups and downs," Rizzo replied. "Upside, we won seven out of ten games. Downside, those seven wins weren't up to Herb's standards. Our practice this afternoon was brutal."

"Practice was brutal," Mark added. "I'm still hurting from all those Herbies – and that was four days ago!"

The others nodded in solemn agreement, still not completely recovered from the event. Most of them wanted to put it out of their minds, but it was something that they wouldn't soon forget.

"What the hell is a Herbie?" Nora asked, looking very confused. "I think I'm missing some very important detail here."

"I thought you said Minnesotans can smell a hockey player from a mile away?" Silky inquired of Mara with a grin.

"I did." Mara nodded, feeling more at ease at time passed. "But Nora's not originally from Minnesota."

"So, you're hockey players?" Nora concluded. Her eyes danced with delight as she looked around at the boys.

"Olympic hockey players," Phil Verchota corrected her. He has just arrived with Rob, Baker, and Janny. "Get it right, Barky!"

"I see someone left the kennel door open again," Nora shot back, glaring at Verchota. She would have been nicer to him if he hadn't called her Barky. She hated when he called her that. The pair of them had some history together, but it wasn't a very simple history. Nora looked around Verchota and smiled pleasantly at the other arrivals. "Hi, Rob. Hi, Janny. Hey, Shake 'n Bake."

Bill Baker's face turned bright red after Nora's greeting. He busied himself with the other boys who were adding another table to the group. Verchota went around the table, sitting as far away from Nora as possible, but in doing so he positioned himself with a perfect view of Mara and Silky. He grinned deviously as he looked between the two of them.

Damn, Mara thought when she noticed the smirk on Verchota's face. It didn't bode well for her or Silky. She braced herself for what would likely follow.

"I'm glad to see our little lovebirds are together. Isn't it sweet?"

"Shut up, Philly," Mara said, trying to make light of his teasing. Still, it was more than embarrassing at this point.

"For three weeks, he went on and on about you, Mara. He just wouldn't shut up." Verchota laughed and looked at Silky. "Did you jump her bones when you saw her, Silky? You know, like you said you were going to? Oh, I'm sorry, did I spoil the surprise?"

Mara could not sit there any longer and endure Verchota's taunts. If she did, she was going to do something she'd regret. Her first inclination was to leap across the table and throttle him, and her second was to burst into tears. She didn't want to be around the others if either of those two things occurred. Stealing a glance at Silky, Mara noticed that he looked ready to spring over the table and hit his teammate. Acting impulsively, Mara leapt from her seat and stalked across the room. She hated herself for leaving so abruptly because it was a childish move, but she had exhausted herself with worry all day about the very thing that Verchota chose to tease them about.

Mara plopped down into a seat at the end of the bar, praying that Jess would see to her quickly. She ordered a shot, hoping it would calm her down a bit. Just after she had rid the glass of its liquid, Rob pulled up in the seat beside her. It was a little surprising, because she had expected Nora to follow. Still trying to keep her emotions in check, Mara waited for Rob to initiate conversation.

"Davey and OC just took Silky outside for some air," Rob informed her and then grinned slightly. "And, um, Nora is tearing into Philly something fierce, which is why I'm here."

Mara groaned. "You know what that means, right?"

"Phil and Nora will be going home together." Rob nodded and then looked over to where the couple was arguing among the gaggle of uncomfortable boy. He turned back to Mara. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," she admitted. "I'm just pissed at Philly right now. Why is he being such an ass about this?"

"I don't know," Rob said, but took a stab at an explanation. "I don't think he ever expected you to go for Silky. He's from Boston after all."

Mara rolled her eyes. "That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Why does it matter where he is from? Anyway, I'm not going for anybody."

"You don't like Silky?"

"I like him just fine," she replied sharply, disregarding every thought she had about him over the last three weeks, "but I don't know him. He could turn out to be an even bigger ass than Verchota."

Mara caught Jess's eye and signaled for two more shots.

"You can't take two more shots," Rob reprimanded her firmly.

"Watch me," she retorted flatly and picked up the two tiny glasses. Sliding from the stool, she walked out the front door.

She found Silky sitting on the steps of the alternate entrance. Jack and Dave Christian were milling about on the sidewalk in front of him. They all looked up when Mara stepped out the door. Jack and Christian exchanged a look. Jack patted Silky on the shoulder and then the two retreated back inside.

"I'll take it from here, boys," Mara said when they passed by. She stopped just in front of Silky, looking him in the eye for the first time that night. "Didn't I tell you that Philly is a complete ass?"

Silky smiled and nodded as Mara sat down next to him on the step. "He really knows how to push your buttons, doesn't he?"

"I wasn't lying when I said that.

"Look, I never said any of those things about you. Honestly, I don't remember ever really talking about you during the trip."

"I learned long ago not to trust much of what comes out of Phil's mouth," Mara said, brushing off the negativity in his last comment. "You are here to play hockey, I get it. So, tell me more about Europe. Was it that bad?"

Silky shook his head. "Europe was fine. It was Norway that nearly killed us. We tied them 3-3, but Herb was not happy with our performance. He kept us after the game and we did so many Herbies that I lost count. I never felt so tired and sore in my life. It was awful – still feeling some of it, really."

"That sounds awful."

He nodded. "I don't know how, but we beat them the next night, 9-0. It didn't make much of a difference to Herb though."

"It seems to me, you deserve this." Mara held out one of the shots.

"I really shouldn't," he replied. "We've got an early practice in the morning."

"Well, I can't do them both. Unless you'd like to go in before your practice and make sure the rink is ready for your team." She gave him a hopeful grin. He accepted and they threw them back together. "Better?"

"Yeah," he said with a smile. "I think I can go back in there without beating Verchota's ass."

"That's the spirit," Mara replied, patting him on the arm. She was just about to suggest that they go back inside when the door swung open and Nora stormed on to the sidewalk. She turned toward the two of them with a furious expression on her face and shouted,

"I am done with Phil Verchota. I mean it – done! He is a complete ass."

Mara stared at her friend, stunned by the declaration. It seems the prediction that she and Rob made early was inaccurate, which was a first. In the moment, she agreed whole-heartedly with Nora, but decided that it was best not to riled her up any further.

"Come on, Mara, we're leaving!" Nora demanded.

"Sorry, I should probably go," she apologized to Silky. He nodded with a look of disappointed. "I'll see you around."

"Wait. Before you leave," he started, grabbing her arm before she could get away. "The boys were talking about hanging out at our place this weekend. Stop by, if you want to."

"Where do you live?" Mara asked, never having given it a thought before.

"We're in Sanford Hall at the university, second floor. Do you know it?"

"They sure know how to spoil you guys," Mara quipped and then nodded. "Yeah, I know the place."

"Mara! Let's go!" Nora whined.

"I'll see you later," Mara told him and then walked off to join Nora. The two girls linked and strolled down the street. After about a half-block, Nora punched Mara in the arm. Mara yelped. "That hurt!"

"Good! Why didn't you tell me about all of this!" Nora demanded. "And why the hell didn't you warn me that Phil was still around?"

"Well, for one, I was still getting over the fact that you were back in town. I didn't even give him a thought until we saw him," Mara said, tweaking the truth a bit. "Besides, I didn't think we'd see them tonight. I didn't want to get your hopes up."

"You're a terrible liar, Mara Hudson," Nora stated sharply.

"I didn't think it would matter all that much. I mean, Robbie is on the team. He and I are friends. I'm acquainted with a few of the others. They hang out at Sally's like any other student at the U. It doesn't seem too farfetched that I'd get to know them a little."

"It seems like you've gotten to know them more than a little, especially the one Phil was giving you a hard time about. What was that all about anyway?" Nora gave Mara a look that demanded the truth.

Mara explained in as much detail as possible about the night that she and Kelsey went out with the boys. Nora seemed amused by all that transpired in her absence.

"So life is a little more exciting than you let on, eh?" Mara shrugged and Nora smirked. "Well, I think that boy likes you. At least have a little fun with him."

"Yeah, we'll see what happens."

"Now that we have that all cleared up, what can you tell me about the one they call OC?"


	6. Making Enemies

Unfortunately, Mara did not get a chance to see the boys over the weekend. In fact, she hardly made it would her bed at all. She had come down with a nasty flu that had her bedridden through Monday. When Mara was finally back on her feet, she met up with Kelsey and Nora at the River Diner for an early dinner.

"Welcome back to the living," Nora quipped as Mara slid into the booth. "You missed one hell of a party on Friday night. The boys were a little disappointed that you couldn't make it, but there were some girls who had a better time because you weren't there."

"What do you mean?" Mara asked, picking up a menu to scan.

"Dave Silk is a hot little item. I think every girl there made a pass at him," Nora smirked, "including me."

"You didn't!" Mara groaned, slightly annoyed.

"Can't blame a girl for trying, can you?" Nora shrugged. "Don't worry; I've still got my eye on that Jack O'Callahan."

"You didn't make a move on Jack?" Mara asked, surprised.

Nora pursed her lips, looking a little irritated. "No – some other girl beat me to it."

"Shame," Mara muttered as Kelsey came in and hurried over to them.

"Sorry I'm late. I had to wait for my dad to get home from work," she explained, opening her menu.

"It's okay. I was just telling Mara all about what happened on Friday night," Nora told her, grinning at the newcomer. "You had a pretty good night, right Kels?"

Kelsey blushed. "Yeah, it was fun!"

"So, you and Bah are still along then?" Mara asked, grinning. Kelsey nodded as the waitress came up and took their order.

"I really like him," Kelsey continued once the waitress walked away. She smiled fondly. "I think he might like me too."

"That boy was practically drooling all over you," Nora retorted. "He seems a little touched in the head, if you ask me."

Mara shot a look at Nora. "I think it's great, Kelsey. I like Bah a whole lot."

Kelsey eyed Nora with a smirk. "Did you tell Mara about Bill Baker?"

Mara's eyebrows soared. "No, she didn't. What about Baker, Nora?"

Nora heaved a sigh and leaned back in her seat. "If you _must _know, ole Shake n' Bake and I had a go 'round."

"They were making out front of everyone," Kelsey interjected.

"Wow!" Mara said, impressed that her friend had stuck to her guns about Verchota. It was a big step for Nora, but she wasn't completely convinced that it was a done deal. Time would only tell. "How'd Verchota feel about that?"

"Who cares? Like I said, I'm done with him," Nora reaffirmed and then changed the subject. "So, Mara, when are you going to that the move on Silky? That boy isn't going to wait around forever."

The food arrived just as Mara was about to open her mouth to make a smart comment. They busied themselves with their meals. After the few bites, Mara answered the question.

"Maybe if I could hang out with him without being harassed by one of his moronic teammates, something might happen."

"Or you should just go up to him after the game tonight, grab his face, and a plant one on him." Nora wiggled her eyebrows.

The team had a game against the Minnesota North Stars that night, which was why the girls had met for dinner. After they finished with dinner, they piled into Nora's car and headed over to the arena. They were about an hour early. Game time was at seven. This would give them enough time to purchase tickets, choose prime seats, and then watch the boys warm up.

"Can we sit close?" Kelsey asked as they walked by the concessions.

Mara shook her head firmly. "No, it's not a good idea, Kel. Vultures sit close to the ice. Besides, I want to sit where I can actually watch the game."

They walked up the ramp to the stands and looked around for the perfect spot. Nora suggested a compromise, so they sat about halfway up on the curve.

"Ugh, Kels, look!" Nora groaned suddenly, looking toward the players' bench. "I knew that awful girl was a vulture. What was her name?"

Kelsey and Mara followed her gaze to where a pack of girls had gathered along the glass. This was actually an interesting phenomenon, Mara thought, because it was difficult to tell who they favored, the Olympians or the Stars. Being vultures, they would probably take anything they could get.

"Holly," Kelsey replied when she spotted the girl. She pulled an unfavorable face. "Yeah, I didn't care for her much, either."

Mara was just about to ask about their disproval when the first players from both teams skated onto the ice. The small crowd cheered. When number six appeared from the tunnel, Nora leaned forward in her seat, cupped her hands around her mouth, and shouted,

"Lookin' good, Shake 'n Bake!"

All three girls dissolved into laughter when Baker looked up at them. He tapped his stick on the glass as he passed by. A few faces in the rows down below whipped around and glared at Nora for a few seconds before turning their attention back to the ice.

"Hey, girls," called a voice from behind them. "Do you mind if I join you?"

"Sure, if you don't mind Nora's big mouth," Kelsey replied with a friendly smile, apparently familiar with the new arrival. It quickly dawned on her that Mara was not acquainted. "Mara, this is Gayle Schneider, Buzzy's wife. We met her Friday night."

Gayle smiled and greeted Mara. She took a seat next to Kelsey. "I'm actually glad you yelled, Nora. I was going to sit by myself – my friend bailed on me at the last minute."

Nora grinned. "I do what I can, especially when it stirs up the vultures. Did you see them snarl at me afterward?"

"Vultures?" Gayle inquired.

"I think they're also known as puck bunnies," Mara clarified.

"Or whores," Nora interjected sharply, her eyes never leaving the ice.

Mara laughed. "They're the girls that come to the games, hoping to score with one of the players. They typically don't know a lick about hockey either."

Gayle chuckled. She knew the type. "There were some hanging around on Friday, weren't there?"

"Yep, there sure were," Kelsey nodded.

"Hey, who was Holly trying to sink her talons into?" Nora asked, looking like she was about to cause some trouble.

Kelsey and Gayle both seemed to be considering. Gayle spoke up first, "I think Jim Craig. Is that his name – the goalie?"

Nora's eyes twinkled and in the same fashion as before, she yelled, "You can tend my goal any time, Jimmy!"

As they all burst into laughter, Mara looked down for a reaction from the vultures. "That girl is going to claw your eyes out if she gets the chance."

"I'd like to see her try," Nora said, rolling her eyes.

Warm ups were over and the boys headed back into the locker room. The crowd that had gathered below dispersed a little bit. Some of the vultures glared at Nora when they walked by. She returned their looks with a playful little wave.

"So, how did you girls get to know the boys then?" Gayle asked, making conversation.

"We had classes with some of the boys at the U," Mara explained, not wanting Gayle to think that they were vultures themselves. "Kelsey and I also work at Sally's Bar over near campus – the boys come in at least once a week. They are a pretty difficult group to ignore."

Gayle laughed. "I imagine they would be."

* * *

><p>The game did not end in the Olympic team's favor. They lost to the North Stars 4-2. They did not play terribly, but they could have done better. Mara thought the defense looked a little lackadaisical. This was their first game since Europe and she could see why Herb would be unhappy. There was still plenty of time for them to develop.<p>

Gayle asked the girls if they planned to stick around the arena until the boys were done in the locker room. There hadn't been much discussion about it beforehand, but it seemed like Gayle could use the company, so they chose to stay after the game.

"Next time the boys play here, Frank should let us drive the Zamboni," Nora suggested.

"He might let _me_ drive it," Mara said with a laugh. She had taken the girls through a short cut to the back lot where the boys would exit to their cars. "I doubt it though. He loves driving that thing during the games."

Even with the short cut, there were already a few girls milling around near the exit door. Holly and her friends were included among them. More arrived as time passed. Mara walked over to her grandfather's pick-up and pulled down the tailgate for them to sit on. She ignored the looks being thrown their way.

"It's getting chillier. Do you think it will snow soon?" Kelsey said, rubbing her hands together.

I hope so," Mara replied, looking up in the sky. "I love snow."

The others nodded in agreement. Where they lived, you had to love snow because they certainly got enough of it in the wintertime. As the girls waited, they played a game, trying to guess which car belonged to which boy. It provided some fun and took their mind off how long they had been waiting. There was some commotion as the first boys appeared. Nora made sure each of them was greeted in some loud, obnoxious way while the other three girls laughed and occasionally chimed in. Bah, Buzzy, and Pav emerged together and eventually joined their ranks, helping to egg on Nora's antics.

"Mac Attack! Get over here, you studmuffin!" she hollered at Rob to get his attention as Kelsey and Gayle bowed out with their players. Rob shook off a couple of vultures and headed toward them, grinning.

"I didn't know you felt that way, Nora," he said with a laugh and then looked over at Mara. "Feeling better?"

Mara sighed. "Yes, much better. It was awful!"

"I don't want to know the details," Rob replied. "Glad you girls came out tonight."

"We wouldn't miss it," Mara said brightly. "Besides, Nora is having way too much fun."

Nora's eyes lit up as the next wave of players exited the arena. "It's about time, Baker! Get your beautiful blonde behind over here!"

Mara shot a glance at Rob, who was smirking. Before Baker reached them, Mara whispered to Nora, "What happened to OC?"

"Always time for that later," Nora said with a wink as Baker neared.

"You're making enemies, Nora," Baker chided with a laugh.

"Oh, she knows it," Mara assured him as Nora peered around Baker to see the latest arrivals.

Jimmy, Christian, and Silky were instantly overwhelmed by Holly and her friends after they stepped outside. They humored the girls, signing autographs and taking pictures, much like the other guys had.

"You boys might know," Nora voiced, staring down the gaggle of vultures. "How'd that girl get invited on Friday night?"

"I think she knows Rammer," Rob told them with a shrug. "They had a class together last year or something."

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Baker agreed, watching the girl in question flirt with Jimmy. "I hope Rammer wasn't too interested in her, because I think she's moved on."

"Didn't I tell you Silky is a hot item," Nora said, leaning against her friend. Two girls had Silky corner by the door. "You better get him out of there. She's trying to mark her territory."

"Yeah, it look like he needs an out, Mara," Baker added, obviously trying to stay in Nora's good graces.

"Well then, why doesn't one of you help him out then?" Mara suggested.

"Because then they'll leech on to us too," Rob explained with a grin as Mara smiled cheekily at him and slid from her seat.

As she crossed to where the boys were surrounded, Silky spotted her approach. He smiled when they made eye contact. For a split second, Mara wanted nothing more than to fulfill Nora's suggestion to grab his face and kiss him, but she suppressed the urge. There was no need to make such a scene. She smiled back.

"Excuse me," Mara said, coming up behind the pair. She cut between the two girls to get to Silky. "Ready to go yet?"

"Snap to it, Silky! Your woman wants to get you home!" Nora's voice carried across the parking lot loud and clear. Mara snorted and looked back over her shoulder at Nora and the two boys, who were having a good laugh.

"Well?" Mara asked, raising her eyebrows. Silky nodded fervently. Taking that as her cue, Mara walked away from the crowd. Silky wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"So, is this how it's always going to be? You come to my rescue."

Mara shrugged. "It seems you're the damsel in distress."

"How can I show my gratitude?" he asked lightly, stopping short before they were within earshot of the others.

Tilting her head, she tapped her cheek. He stooped and delivered a quick peck. Mara grinned. "Now we're even."

* * *

><p>It was Friday night and the boys had invited Mara, Nora, and Kelsey over to hang out. The team wanted to have some fun before heading out for more exhibition games on the road. At Herb's request, the United States Olympic Committee set up the boys in one of the dormitories at the university. They had a floor all to themselves. It kept them all together, but gave them the space to relax after the hard practices. Neal Broten, Steve Christoff, and Pav were hanging out in the hallway when the girls arrived. The festivities were just getting started.<p>

Kelsey left them when they passed Bah's room. Nora led Mara to the common room at the end of the hall where a bunch of the boys were gathered. Spotting Jack over near the kitchen area, Mara crossed the room and thrust a brown paper bag at him.

"What's this?" he asked, puzzled by the gift.

Mara smiled and instructed him to open it.

"Tequila!" Jack sang loudly, hoisting the bottle so everyone in the room could see it. "Awe, Mara, you shouldn't have."

"Yes – yes, I should," Mara insisted with wide, insisting eyes. "It's time someone introduced you to quality tequila."

"Silky," Jack called out. He waved the liquor in the air as Silky and Christian entered the room. "Your girl is trying to get me drunk and take advantage of me."

Mara rolled her eyes and snatched the bottle from his hand. "Well, if that's the case, I will need a lot this tequila!"

"Hey!" Jack exclaimed, looking playfully offended. "I'll have you know, the ladies love me."

Chuckling, Mara opened the nearest cabinet. Not finding what she was looking for, she asked, "Got any glasses in this joint or what?"

In response to her question, Jack and Christian left to hunt some down. They clearly weren't prepared to deal with anything but beer, and the glasses in the sink looked questionable. When she closed the cabinet door and turned around, Silky was standing right behind her. There was no time to even process him, because he stooped down and caught her lips with his. Momentarily surprised, Mara recovered enough to wrap her arms around his neck.

When he broke away, she blinked and breathed, "Well that's not exactly how I thought that would happen."

"Sorry, I just wanted to get it out of the way," he replied with a grin.

"It's about damn time too!" Nora yelled with a big grin on her face. She had a clear view of them from her perch on the arm of the sofa.

Having been alerted to what was happening, Ralph, Rizzo, Baker, and Janny cat-called and whistled their approval. Mara felt her cheeks grow warm, but she smiled up at Silky. He looked quite pleased.

"What'd we miss?" Jack asked, returning with Christian with a ream of plastic cups. He was also followed by Rob and Christy, who were back from their beer run. A handful of girls trailed in behind them, which they must have collected along the way.

"Mara and Silky were getting hot and heavy over there," Nora informed them as she eyeballed the newcomers. They were most likely college girls from another dorm. A couple of the girls' faces fell at the sight of Silky and Mara together.

"But what about us, Mara?" Jack jested. "I thought we had something special?"

"You'll always be special to me, Jack," Mara replied with a wink.

"Hey, Mara, can I talk to you for a minute?" Verchota was standing in the doorway looking at her with a hopeful expression.

Surprised, Mara nodded with some hesitation. He wasn't exactly someone that she wanted to talk to in this moment, but curiosity was getting the best of her. She wanted to hear what he had to say. She felt Silky's hand on hers, but she shook him off.

"It's okay," she assured him quietly and then walked into the hall with Verchota.

"Look, I was a jackass," he confessed awkwardly, "but I don't want things to be weird. Silky and I have worked it out between us, so I wanted to make sure you and I were square."

"We'll be fine as long as you're not constantly harassing me about Silky," Mara replied. She offered him a small smile. "If you quit all together, I'd be a little concerned."

"Fair enough," Verchota agreed. He grinned. "Thanks, Mara."

"You might try apologizing to Nora too," she suggested. "I never did find out what happened between you two."

"I said pretty nasty things to her," Verchota replied with a shrug. "But I meant them. She and I weren't very good together anyway."

"I'm glad you two finally figured that out. Can you at least try to be civil around each other?"

"I can't make any promises, but I'll try."

The evening continued in a predictable fashion. More girls showed up and a lot of booze was consumed. A game of strip poker had been started up in OC's room, but Mara avoided that like the plague. She had no desire to see drunk, half-naked girls make spectacles of themselves, nor did she care to see any of the boys in a similar state. Instead, she sat on the couch next to Silky, sipping a drink, and listening to the conversation between him, Christian and Jimmy. There was more alcohol coursing through her body than she intended, but she was still in control.

"Hey, look!" she shouted suddenly. A few followed her gaze. Even though she had been looking out the window, it had taken a few seconds to realize what was happening. "It's snowing!"

"Looks like I'll have to spend the night," said some girl with a giggle. Mara rolled her eyes at the comment. The girl was either not from the north or she was simply pretending to be an idiot.

"The ground isn't nearly cold enough for it to stick yet. If you have to drive home, you'll be fine," she retorted. The girl made a face at her, but Mara didn't care. She leaped from her, threw open the window, and put the upper half of her body through.

"Shut the damn window!" a voice yelled from inside, but Mara ignored them. She would only be a second.

"Somebody pull her back inside before she falls out," another voice insisted, "and then shut the window."

Mara tilted her head and tried to catch the tiny snowflakes on her tongue. She felt someone at her side.

"I'm with you. We need all the luck we can get." It was Rob. He was hanging out the window next to her. He smiled and then worked on catching a snowflake as well.

It wasn't long after that someone grabbed Mara around the middle and pulled her back inside. She had to duck quickly as the top half of the window was almost introduced to her head. Stumbling backwards, Mara fell to the floor and started to giggle like crazy at the bewildered look on Silky's face.

"Don't you people know it is good luck to catch snowflakes on the first snowfall?" she asked, looking around at all the stares she was getting. A couple people shook their heads.

Rob had pulled himself back inside. "Seriously, nobody else does that?"

"Shut the damn window!" someone yelled loudly.

* * *

><p>"Have you seen Nora?" Mara asked Rob. It had gotten very late into the night and she wanted to go home. He shook his head. She sighed. It had been a while since she had seen either of her friends. Thanking him, she continued to search.<p>

"Mara," Ralph called from down the hall. "We need you."

She walked the length of the hallway, entered the common room, and looked around at those left. A few girls and a handful of boys littered the room. Everyone looked about ready to pass out at any moment. She had stopped drinking after almost being decapitated by the window. Having a relatively clear head was one of them main reasons that she wanted to go home. Ralph was standing near the couch where Silky was nodding off in a drunken stupor.

"Will you walk him to his room?" Rizzo asked and then informed her, "He'll pass out as soon as he hits his bed."

She lifted her eyebrows. "You boys can't do it?"

"We thought it would give you a chance to say goodnight," Ralph offered, "plus, Baker's room next door. You might find Nora."

"Fine. Which is his?"

"On the left, three doors pasted the bathroom," Rizzo replied.

Nodding, Mara crossed the room and sat down beside Silky. His head rolled towards her and he smiled.

"Come on, Dave. It's time to go," she said gently and took his hand.

"You're coming home with me?" he asked, his grin widening.

"Yep – are you ready?" Mara added, helping him up. As he made to stand, he swayed a bit but didn't fall.

Ralph leaned over the couch and said, "You can sweet talk me anytime, Mara."

She offered him a rude hand gesture as a reply and guided Silky towards the door. He wasn't very steady on his feet, so Mara ducked under his arm to support him. They almost made it to his bedroom door unscathed, but Silky stumbled. The sudden shift in weight caught Mara off guard and they hit the wall. She yelped at the impact and was momentarily pinned between the wall and the hockey player. He stumbled back the other way. She grabbed a hold of him, opened his door, and pulled him inside.. It was a miracle he made it to his bed. Mara rubbed her shoulder as she watched him get comfortable. He mumbled something nonsensical, smiled, and then was out.

Quietly shutting the door, Mara looked at the each of the neighboring doors. One of them had a sock hanging on the doorknob. She closed her eyes, groaned, and pounded her fist against what she thought was a wall. It was a door.

Mike Ramsey opened it up a few seconds later and peered out. "Mara?"

"Sorry, Mikey, I thought I hit the wall," she replied with a tiny smile while staring at the sock.

Mike followed her gaze and smirked. "I didn't know you had a thing for Baker."

"I hate you all," Mara said flatly, shaking her head sleepily. None of them could ever be serious. "I really just want to go home, but Nora is my ride. She seems to be otherwise engaged at the moment."

"I'll take you, if you want?" Mike replied with a shrug.

"You sober?"

"I only had one beer when at the beginning of the night," he admitted and then smiled, "scout's honor."

"Great. I'll take you up on it. I just need to get out of here."

"Hell of a party, wasn't it?"

"It had its moments," she replied flatly, knowing she would hear more about it tomorrow.


	7. The List

Drinking the night before a lunch shift was not the smartest of ideas. A dull headache nagged Mara as hungry patrons trickled into Sally's around midday. She couldn't complain much, because she was a right sight better than Kelsey. Her friend had also been scheduled to work the same shift, and stumbled in a little late, looking like a hot mess. It was difficult to tell whether or not Kelsey made it home last night, or if she simply didn't have enough energy to make herself fully presentable. As soon as she came in, she made for the bathroom and later informed Mara that she had been sick. It was clear the day would be difficult to get through.

Stifling a yawn as she walked behind the bar, Kelsey slammed down her notepad and groaned, "I'm never drinking tequila again!"

"Famous last words," Mara replied as she scanned the smatter of occupied tables.

"I blame you."

"Look, I only bought it. I didn't tell anyone to drink it."

Kelsey laughed and then grabbed her head, making a face as it throbbed. "Next time, don't let me drink so much!"

"I'll try to remember that – especially if we're scheduled to work," Mara added with a chuckle as a customer settled into a nearby barstool. The two girls parted to take care of their respective duties. Mara took the order back to the kitchen and when she returned, Kelsey was filling two glasses with soda. As they worked, they chatted more about their night.

"What happened to Nora?" Kelsey asked as Mara began restocking the bar with clean glasses.

"She ended up in Baker's room and it was clear that they did not want to be disturbed," Mara told her with heavy implications.

Kelsey lifted her eyebrows with interest. "She didn't!"

"Oh, she sure did," a voice interjected from the other side of the bar. "She's been added to the list of girls who've taken the 'Walk of Shame'."

Looking up from their tasks, the two girls set wide eyes on Ralph and Silky. They both smiled sleepily as they took a seat and looked about as terrible as Mara and Kelsey felt.

"What?" Kelsey stammered, clarifying that she heard them correctly.

"You have a list?" Mara asked flatly, feeling mildly horrified, disgusted, and interested all at the same time.

"Verchota started it," Silky explained. "Any girl caught leaving the dorm after three in the morning is added. He said he's been keeping tallies since freshman year."

"Figures," Mara muttered, thoroughly disgusted now.

"Christy and I both saw her leave this morning on our way to the bathroom," Ralph informed them. "From the looks of it, she had a good night. Either Christy or Baker must've added her name, because I saw it there."

"Anyone can see this list?" Mara replied, appalled at the thought.

"It's on the bathroom wall," Silky admitted hesitantly. He eyed Kelsey curiously as she had gone quiet.

Mara followed his gaze. Kelsey looked even more pale than before. "You all right, Kel?"

She nodded her response and then scurried away to deliver the drinks to her tables. Mara turned on her heel to face the two hockey players with a grim expression and demanded, "Is Kelsey on that list?"

"I don't think so," Silky replied and confirmed with his teammate, who also shook his head.

"But maybe she needs to be added," Ralph suggested.

Mara glared at him. "I swear to God, Ralph, if you put Kelsey on that list, I will make it so you never have girls end up there!"

"Calm down, Mara. It was a joke," he replied with a chuckle. "I wouldn't do that to her. Bah can do it himself when the time comes."

Mara shook her head a little to clear her mind. She was done analyzing the asinine things that boys did to humor themselves and humiliate others. Holding up her hands, Mara signaled that she was done with the conversation. Realigning herself, Mara said, "I didn't expect to see any of you boys in here today. What are you up to?"

"Herb called a practice this afternoon," Silky explained with a heavy sigh. "We were supposed to have the day off."

"None of us are really fit to skate this afternoon. Herb is going to murder us all, so we thought we'd get in a final meal before it happens," Ralph added, "and say our goodbyes to the world."

Mara raised her eyebrows, amused. "I guess it wasn't a great night for tequila."

The boys chuckled and shook their heads.

"Coffee then?" she asked, reaching for the pot. They nodded as she filled a pair of mugs, adding, "You guys look like hell, by the way. There is no way this gets passed Herb. You're done for."

The two boys ordered food and chatted with Mara in between her other customers. At one point, Mara met Kelsey in the kitchen and informed her that she had not made the list. Kelsey looked extremely relieved and then joined in their conversation when she wasn't busy with her tables. The day was shaping up despite the rough start.

It was nearing time for the boys to head over to the rink. Ralph had caught the eye of a female patron and was off sweet-talking her in a booth across the room. This left Silky alone at the bar with Mara's sporadic company. During a break in business, Mara wiped off the counter near him, internally cursing the pain her head.

"Would you maybe want to get some dinner later?" Silky asked quietly, looking hopeful.

Mara considered him for a second, slightly taken aback by the question, but then smiled. "Sure. That would be really nice."

"Great!" He grinned brightly. "We can meet somewhere around seven. I don't know how long practice will go, but I don't imagine we'd go for that long since we're traveling tomorrow. I'd say where to meet, but I don't know too many good places around here."

Mara couldn't help but grin, because that was probably the most he had ever said to her at one time. "How about Mario's? It's a great place for pizza and beer."

"Really? Pizza and beer?" Silky asked with some skepticism.

"I'm easy," Mara replied with a shrug and then blushed when his smile widened. She added sharply, "That is _not _what I meant."

Silky looked down at his watch and sighed. "We should probably get going."

"Don't forget to peel Ralph off that girl before you go," Mara reminded him as she glanced across the room. Refocusing on Silky for a moment, she leaned across the bar top, peered around to make sure no one important was watching, and stole a quick kiss. She smirked at the stunned expression slapped across his face. "Now get out of here before you're late!"

* * *

><p>With one arm wrapped around a bag of clothes, Mara knocked on the door for the second time and muttered, "Come on, Nora, please be home and conscious."<p>

There were some muffled noises from inside and finally the door swung open, revealing a half-dead, irritated Nora on the other side.

"Stop that infernal knocking," Nora demanded with a hand clutching her head. She leaned in to get a look at what Mara was carrying. "What the hell is that for?"

"I need your help," Mara explained, moving passed Nora into the apartment. Nora closed the door and stared, waiting for more. "I'm going to dinner with Dave tonight, but I'm not sure what to wear."

"Where are you going?" Nora asked, slumping down on the couch.

"Mario's," Mara replied sheepishly, knowing that Nora wouldn't approve of her choice.

"Jesus, Mara! Of all the places you could pick?!"

"I like it there! So, you need to help me. How casual or dressy should I get?"

"Depends on what you want to get out of the evening."

"For now, let's just go with less than what you got out of Baker last night," Mara retorted, casting a knowing look over her friend.

Nora nodded, looking thoughtful. "Fair enough. Speaking of last night, how'd you get home?"

"Mike Ramsey. He was the only person who wasn't completely drunk or otherwise engaged."

"So other people hooked up too?" Nora asked, interested.

Mara shrugged. "I don't know, but it's not impossible."

It was not the time to tell Nora about Verchota's list. It was very likely that Nora's name appeared multiple times on his list from college, not just because of their complicated relationship. Mara suspected that last night was not Nora's first time with Bill Baker. In fact, the only Golden Gopher that she was certain that Nora left untouched was Rob McClanahan, but it wasn't for a lack of trying. Mara loved her friend dearly, reputation and all.

The two girls spent some time chatting about the night before and then got down to the business of finding Mara a suitable outfit. After some debate, they finally settled on jeans, a sweater, hair pulled back, and a little make-up. Nora said it was casual but classy. Mara stood in front of the mirror, looking very skeptical at her reflection. She did not want to go overboard.

"Get away from that mirror, Mara!" Nora reprimanded her from the kitchen. "You look great! Besides, he is already hooked."

Mara wandered into the kitchen. "I know – I'm sorry. I don't know what's gotten into me."

"You like this guy," Nora stated.

"I hardly know him, but yeah, I think I do."

* * *

><p>As it happened to be a Saturday night, Mario's was packed. Mara felt a little awkward sitting alone at a table, waiting. Seven o'clock had come and gone, but no Silky. She kept looking at her watch. Now it was nearing seven-thirty. Mara was acquainted with the waitress, so she explained the situation by taking a stab in the dark and blaming a late running practice for his delay. Any number of things could have happened to keep him away, but how much longer should she wait?<p>

"Five more minutes," Mara told the waitress when she came to refill her water. The clock showed seven-forty-five. "If he doesn't show, I will leave."

She sipped her water and looked around the room. It felt silly to sit there for as long as she did, but it didn't make sense that he would just stand her up. There had to be a good reason. Something must have happened at practice to make him late. Mara took a deep breath, preparing to make her exit as the five minutes were almost up. Her eyes swept the room one final time and fell on the entrance just in time to see Dave Silk walk in. She just about burst into tear with relief, but quickly pulled herself together as he spotted her and crossed to the booth.

"I can't believe you're still here," he said, sliding into the opposite seat. He looked even more exhausted than he had earlier.

"Me neither," Mara replied lightly. "Honestly, I was about to leave."

"I wouldn't have held it against you if you had. Practice ran so much longer than I expected. It was complete torture too. Herb was pissed about most of us being hung over from last night. I can't guarantee my legs will work again when I stand up, but they seemed to feel okay on the way over here." He smiled softly.

"I am just grateful you took the time to shower. I don't think you boys really appreciate how bad you reek because you're immersed in it so often. I avoid any work my Pap needs done in the locker rooms. The stench had been permanently absorbed in there. No amount of air freshener helps. Trust me, I've tried."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. I don't notice it," Silky replied with a chuckle. Mara shuddered at the thought.

"Sorry to hear that practice was so rough. Has it really been that bad? I know Herb is a tough coach."

"He's pushing us really hard, you know. He's always yelling at me that I'm too slow. It's like some days are bad and other are much worse – like in Norway and today. I don't think any of us have trained this hard before – I know I haven't."

"I've seen some of the drills you've been doing. It looks insane."

"It is," Silky agreed, "but it's what I love to do. I love to play hockey."

"What will you do after all this is over?"

"I'm hoping to sign with the New York Rangers. I could be playing for them right now, but they thought this was a better fit for me." He shrugged. "How about you – you don't want to work in a bar for the rest of your life, do you?"

"No. My life life's ambition is to drive the Zamboni for the North Stars," she replied sarcastically. The question hit a chord with her because it was the same one her father always asked, not approving of the life choices she made after graduation. She looked across at the patient smile that waited for a truthful answer. "You could say that I got too comfortable with my life in college. I went to classes and got a degree, sure, but I really developed a rhythm by working at Sally's and helping at the rink. After graduation, I wasn't ready to give that up – still don't think I am. The thought of doing something completely new, and possibly moving away from here, is terrifying. This place is all I know. Yeah, it's not as exciting as playing in the Olympics or being drafted by the Islanders."

"Rangers," he corrected her with a grin. "I can understand all that. It's hard being away from my family. Of course, New York is much closer to Boston, so that didn't seem like such a big deal. Being here, Massachusetts seems so far away. What did you get your degree in?"

"Art History," she said.

"Where do you even start looking for a job in that?"

"I think I'd like to teach. There are some other possibilities, which I may explore if needed." Mara paused, studying him for a second. "You look beat. If you want to go back and crash, I would completely understand."

"We may as well eat."

She had been so wrapped up in the conversation that food hadn't even crossed her mind. At his mentioning it, her stomach rumbled. Together they decided on pizza, put in their order, and talked about a variety of different things as they waited. When the evening finally came to a close, Silky offered to walk Mara to her car.

"I'm glad we could do this," he voiced as they rounded the corner near where she had left her car. "Thanks for sticking around for long."

"Yeah, I'm really glad I did," Mara replied with a smile. "Otherwise, we'd have to wait another two weeks."

Silky closed his eyes and groaned, "It's going to a long two weeks."

"Tough schedule?" Mara asked.

"NHL and college teams – we come back here to play Minnesota and UMD at the end of it. It should be interesting."

"Well then, you better rest up. I will see you in a couple of weeks." Mara smiled, looking up at him. She rocked forward and pressed her lips to his. When she tried to make a clean break, he pulled her back in and kissed her again. Mara finally pushed away from him and walked around her car, grinning broadly. "Thanks for a nice night."


	8. Seeking Attention

The telephone rang a couple times before Mara could reach it. She had been sitting in the living room, reading through one of her old history textbooks. The subject suddenly felt more alive since her conversation with Silky. Picking up the receiver, Mara greeted the caller.

"Mara?" the familiar voice said back.

"Hey, Pap," she replied, a little surprised to get a call from him so late in the day.

"What's your schedule like tomorrow?"

"I'm on the lunch shift at Sally's."

"What time can you get out of there?" he asked, clearly hoping for a particular answer.

"About five o'clock. Why?"

"One of my guys can't come in tomorrow night and we've got the Canadian National team coming to play the U.S. boys. Can you help out?"

"The U.S. team is playing at the Met tomorrow night?" Mara asked with some surprised. She didn't think that they were due back for another couple of days.

"It's on the schedule. So you will come in then?"

"Yeah, I can do that," Mara replied, still a little stunned by the news.

"Great! Come over as soon as your shift is done. It should be plenty of time. Thanks, Mara. See you tomorrow."

Hanging up the receiver, Mara felt slightly baffled. How did she miss that on the schedule? Why didn't Silky mention they were playing a game back here? It honestly didn't matter a whole lot. They had already been gone a week. It would be nice to see them play. Dave Silk had not been far from her thoughts since she left him curbside after their date at Mario's. It was different than the last time, because she felt like they were a bit more established as a couple.

* * *

><p>"See you over there, Kel!" Mara called as she left Sally's for the Met Center. Kelsey and Nora planned to attend the game too. Both of them knew they boys would be back in town. Mara would pay better attention to the rink schedule from now on.<p>

Parking in the back lot, Mara grabbed her duffle and headed into the arena. It was difficult to miss the two charter buses that were parked across the lot, indicating that both teams had arrived. Instead of going to the shed or her grandfather's office, Mara headed toward the mezzanine to use the bathroom. She needed to change her outfit. On her way back from the bathroom, Mara came across Jack, Christian, and Rammer stretching in the hallway while Rizzo jumped rope close by. She smiled when they caught sight of her.

"Go get 'em tonight, boys!" she said with a wink, passing by them.

Frank Hudson was not in his office when Mara peeked in. She hoped that she would find him in the shed, which she did. He had his head under the hood of the Zamboni, checking it for malfunctions before its performance this evening. Mara walked around and greeted him to make sure he knew that she had arrived.

"Thanks, Mara. You're a life saver."

She laughed. "It's not a big deal, really. What do you need me to do?"

"Drive," he replied with a glint in his eye as Mara's jaw dropped.

She blinked a couple times, lost for words, and then finally stammered, "Really? You want me to drive tonight?"

"Well, it was either you drive or sit in the penalty box. I figured I'd better man the bin just in case there is a rowdy one in there. Plus, we don't need you distracting any of the players." He chuckled.

Mara hugged her grandfather. "No, we certainly would want that. Thanks, Pap!"

Frank Hudson looked at his watch. "I'm just going to close her up. Why don't you get the nets off the ice and I'll bring her down to the gate for you."

With a nod, Mara left the shed. A couple of players were skating leisurely around the perimeter of the rink when she got there. Opening up the gate, Mara stepped onto the ice, unable to tell if she knew them or not. She waved to get their attention. When they neared, she recognized Mark and Buzzy.

"Hey boys, we're about to clean the ice. You'll have to head to the locker room," she told them, walking toward the nearest goal.

"I'll push the other net out for you," Mark offered when he realized what she was doing.

"That would be a big help. Thank you!"

People started to trickle in for the game as the Zamboni glided around the rink. Mara kept her focus on her task, not wanting to get distracted. When she finished, the Zamboni was turned off and left in the tunnel so that she could take it for a spin after warm ups. Mara felt really good about her first solo game-day ride. It gave her an odd sense of accomplishment and pride because she knew her grandfather had trusted her with the job.

Pulling the keys out of the ignition, Mara heard the crowd cheer. The players must have taken to the ice for warm-ups. She walked down to the end of the tunnel to watch. She smiled politely at the guard who stood at the gate for security purposes. It felt strange to be standing there on a game day. The boys whizzed past, skating circles on their half of the rink while the Canadians did the same on the other half.

Mara looked to her left when someone called her name. Kelsey, Nora, and Gayle stood near the glass at the railing that separated the spectators from the Zamboni tunnel. They beckoned her over. She walked over to them and leaned against the barrier while they talked.

All at once a puck shot towards them, slapping the glass in front of them with quite a bit of force. Kelsey screamed while the other girls flinched at its impact. All four girls turned their attention to the ice and glared at the cluster of players who were snickering like school girls.

"Well, that was uncalled for," Kelsey huffed, blushing after her outburst. Bah was grinning just a little too widely for her liking. Gayle shook her head at Buzzy and he winked at her.

"Where should we meet you after the game?" Nora inquired of Mara as she kept a close on the ice. The players were lining up along the boards to take some practice shots.

"There is an opening in the rail on that side of the rink," Mara instructed, pointing them across the ice. "Wait for me there and I'll let you through."

Nora nodded with a sparkle in her eye. "Can we get a tour of the locker room?"

"Not a chance." Mara laughed. They watched the boys for a few minutes, which allowed them to overhear the loud conversation that some girls were having beside them. The group was carrying on about the players and placing dibs on their favorites. Mara watched a smile spread slowly across Nora's face. It was clear the wheel were turning and she was about to do something in response.

It was perfect because the opportunity presented itself only moments later when Baker stopped right in front of them. Nora made the most of it. She slapped her hand against the glass where he stood and put her other hand dramatically over her heart. Baker looked at her with mild amusement as she announced very loudly, "I'm in love! I'm in love!" It surprised Mara when Nora went so far as to kiss the glass. Baker's eyebrows flew upward and then he laughed, skating away as he was nudged along by Christian who was behind him shaking his head.

"Get her out of here before she causes any real trouble," Mara ordered the other two with a laugh, casting a wary glance at the angry mob beside them. Complying the trio started up the stairs. "See you after the game."

Looking up at the clock, the boys still had another seven minutes on the ice. She turned away from the ice just as Silky joined the line on that side. When he saw her, he tapped his stick against the glass to get her attention before she got too far away. Mara looked back over her shoulder. He smiled, almost shyly, like he was breaking a rule. She returned the smile and then continued further into the tunnel. It suddenly dawned on her that many of the girls in the building were trying to get attention from the boys, but Silky had wanted her attention. Mara's heart swelled at the thought.

The U.S. team blanked the Canadian National team, 6-0. Janny had the win as goaltender for the evening. Silky had two assists; Bah had a goal and an assist; Buzzy had a goal and two assists; and Baker had an assist. It had been a well played game by the U.S. despite their hectic traveling schedule. Most likely the boys would head to the airport after the game to catch a red eye to Salt Lake City.

The rink was nearly empty and Mara was coasting around the rink to shouts from Nora and the girls, cheering her on. She beamed from atop the Zamboni, proud to have made it through the night without any mishaps. When the Zamboni was parked in the shed, Mara grabbed her duffle and went to meet the others. She slid the railing back and they joined her, walking the same path to the parking lot as they had before.

"So which way is the locker room?" Nora queried, her eyes roaming the length of the hallway with interest.

Mara shook her head. "That is classified information. If I told you, it would kill you. Have you ever smelled a hockey player after a game? It's horrible."

Laughing, Gayle nodded her agreement. "It's so true! It took a while, but Buzzy finally understands that I won't touch him until he is clean."

Kelsey and Nora did not look convinced.

"Okay, I will go against my rules and at the next game we will sit a few rows up from the bench. By the third period, you'll have a better idea of what we're talking about," Mara told them with a serious tone. "I like to refer to it as the stench from the bench."

She pulled a face as Gayle laughed. The other two looked amused. With all this talk about sweaty hockey players, Mara was glad to reach the fresh air outside. Two different groups of vultures and a smattering of others were waiting near the doors, looking both disappointed and affronted that the four girls' appearance.

"Damn, I knew I shouldn't have parked there," Mara groaned when she realized the bus had pulled up closer to the door, blocking both her car and her grandfather's truck. It wasn't all bad, but it meant she'd be waiting a while. Kelsey, Nora, and Gayle agreed to wait with her. It gave them an excuse to spend the time with their beaus.

After throwing her duffle in the backseat of her car, Mara returned to where the others were huddled. It was much colder than the last time they stayed after. Nora stared down the others that lingered, recognizing a few of them from the last couple of parties. It was very clear from the looks being thrown their way that Mara, Kelsey, Nora, and Gayle were the topic of conversation.

"Jealousy – that's all it is, girls," Gayle said, shaking her head and throwing a glance their way. "Pay them no mind. Most of those girls won't see more than this parking lot. And a few of them will get their hearts broken…"

"Or end up on the list," Mara said without thinking.

"What list?" Nora asked, peaking with interest.

Cursing her lax in judgment, Mara hesitated before continuing with an explanation. "Verchota started a list to keep tally on all the boys' conquests during their run to the Olympics – and I'm not talking about hockey related conquests. Apparently this is something he has been doing since freshman year. It's foul, I know."

After a moment of processing, Nora's expression turned stony. "Funny thing is – it's really not surprising."

Gayle looked skeptical, her eyes moving between the three girls. "You're serious, aren't you?"

Kelsey nodded fervently. "Yeah, it's posted on the wall in the bathroom for all of them to see."

"That's revolting," Gayle replied, rolling her eyes.

"I wonder how many times I'm on the list," Nora pondered aloud with slight amusement. "I know I'm on that college list."

Mara shrugged and added truthfully, "You've made the Olympic list."

"Damn!" Nora sighed. "If I had left five minutes later I would have been in the clear. What's his name – the one with the moustache – and Christoff caught me on their way to the bathroom." She shrugged nonchalantly. "Whatever, I was bound to get caught sooner or later – too many of them to make a clean getaway."

Gayle and Mara chuckled, but Kelsey looked bewildered.

"It doesn't bother you that they all know you and Baker slept together?"

Nora shook her head. "Now don't get me wrong, I think what they are doing is obscene, but personally, I could care less about who knows. Besides, it's nothing new for me and Baker, which I imagine some of them know that."

Mara's eyes widened at this revelation. "I knew it!" she said triumphantly, her suspicions confirmed.

"Here comes the clever man himself," Kelsey said curtly, nodding toward the exit where Verchota and Mark Wells had just appeared. "I'd like to give him a piece of my mind."

"Yeah, I've got a finger for him and it's not my thumb," Nora sneered, glaring in his direction. "It's not worth it though. He wouldn't listen to anything we'd say."

They watched as the two boys threw their bags under the bus and then circled back to chat up the fans. Suter, Morrow, and Jimmy exited shortly after; a couple of girls rushed Jimmy. Brots and Pav followed, skirting the crowd and adding their bags to the pile.

"I wish they'd hurry up, I'm getting cold," Kelsey complained, rubbing her hand together.

"Well, I see someone who can warm you up," Gayle with a Bah when Bah appeared. Kelsey wasted no time greeting him. He had to drop his bag as she flung herself at him. Gayle followed, knowing Buzzy would be close behind. Her instincts were right because her husband stepped outside only a second later.

"Two down, two to go," Nora observed lightly. "I'll admit, I've missed that blondie."

Mara smirked. "I knew you had a thing for him."

"We shall see what happens," Nora replied whimsically.

Mara's smiled brightened at the sight of Silky, who emerged from the building with Christian, Ralph, and OC. With the arrival of new boys, some of the others were able to slip away and board the bus. A group of girls quickly surrounded the newcomers.

"Catch you later," Nora said suddenly, heading off toward the crowd as Baker, Rammer, and Johnson appeared. Mara had no doubt that Nora was about to lay it on thick for the vultures flocked around Baker.

Not bothering to watch Nora's antics, Mara only had eyes for one particular hockey player. She kept a watch on his from the distance. He spotted Nora and then seemed to be searching for something. When he finally saw her, he smiled and held her gaze for a prolonged moment. Mara lifted a hand and waved, smiling back. There was no need to intervene; he would come over when the opportunity presented itself. She enjoyed the lingering looks he kept tossing her way as he engaged the crowd.

With the next wave of boys, Silky was able to break away. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he crossed to where Mara stood and then set the bag down again. She tried to play it cool as he laid those gorgeous eyes on her and move in for a kiss.

She joggled his tie a bit and looked up at him. "Well, don't you clean up nicely?"

"I try," he said with a chuckle. "So, I hear you're moving a little closer to that goal of driving the Zamboni for the Stars."

Her jaw dropped slightly and she laughed. "Yeah, I suppose so. It was either drive the Zamboni or sit in the penalty box. Pap thought I'd be a distraction so he opted to take the box."

"He chose wisely."

"I didn't know you guys were even playing in town until last night," she admitted. "It was a good game. You played well. How's the rest of the trip been?"

"It's been okay – a lot of traveling, but I might as well get used to it if I'm going pro. We played a couple NHL teams – lost pretty badly to two of them, but stuck tight with the Capitals. It was a tough one to lose because I thought we'd pull it out in the end." He shrugged, slid his hands in his pockets, and smiled. "I'm really glad you're here."

"Perks of knowing the rink manager," Mara said and then looked passed him as a couple of boys were closing in on them, looking devious. Noticing they had been caught, Christian, Ralph, and Rizzo pelted Silky with a few well aimed snowballs. Mara laughed until she got hit on the side of the head. Whirling around, she narrowed her eyes with mock anger at a surprised but laughing Rob,

"Robbie!" she yelled, brushing away the debris of snow from inside her coat collar.

"I'm sorry," he called back. "I didn't mean to hit you in the head."

"I _will _get you back, Rob McClanahan," Mara promised. "When you least expect it."

"You okay?" Silky asked, watching the culprits retreat back into the crowd.

"I'm fine," Mara assured him with a grin. "It was more of a shock than anything. He will pay for that though."

"Let's go, Silky!" Christian called out from near the bus, waving him over. The coaching staff and other personnel loaded their belongings into the underside of the bus. They shouted for the boys to get a move on.

"See you in a couple days?" Silky asked after acknowledging Christian's call. Mara nodded and then he kissed her.

She grinned as he slung the bag over his shoulder. "Play well."

"Thanks," he replied and left a kiss on her cheek before walking toward the bus.

Mara sighed contently and watched him join the other boys. Nora, Kelsey, and Gayle returned to her side. Nora slipped an arm through Mara's and as the bus backed out of the lot the girls waved. Nora rested her head on Mara's shoulder and breathed almost irritably.

"I think I am actually falling for him."

Smiling with some satisfaction, Mara kept her own similar feelings to herself. It still felt a bit too early to voice them out loud, but the feelings would be difficult to ignore for very long.


	9. Smarter Than That

The boys were back at home playing the University of Minnesota's Golden Gophers. Gayle had called Kelsey to say that she wouldn't be at the game. The trio of Mara, Kelsey, and Nora stood in the hallway near the concessions trying to decide if they wanted to wait until another game to sit behind the bench – a game when Gayle would be there. They had just decided to get it over with when a dark-haired woman in a Gophers sweatshirt hurried over to Mara and gave her a big hug.

"It's so good to see you, Mara!"

"It's nice to see you again, Mrs. McClanahan," Mara replied, glancing at the surprised looks on her friends' faces. She had met Rob's mother a number of times, but wouldn't have thought it warranted such an enthusiastic greeting. "You're here to see Rob, I assume."

"I had some time off so I thought I'd come see how my son is doing. He is apparently too busy to call his mother from time to time," she told them, shaking her head in annoyance.

"Herb is definitely keeping them busy," Mara confirmed. "They've been on the road a lot."

"Well, I'm glad to hear someone is keeping an eye on my boy," Mrs. McClanahan said with a grin.

"When they are home, he and the boys come into the bar where Kelsey and I work," Mara explained, pointing to Kelsey who smiled politely at Rob's mom.

"Still at Sally's then, eh?"

"Yes, ma'am, it keeps my life interesting." Mara laughed, thinking about the fight that broke out in the bar last night. Realizing she hadn't introduced the other two girls, she added, "By the way, these are my friends, Kelsey and Nora. And I'm sure you two have figured out this is Rob's mom."

The two girls nodded and smiled as they exchanged handshakes with Mrs. McClanahan.

"It's very nice to meet you both," she said before pausing for a moment to consider them. "This is an odd question, but would you girls mind if I sat with you for a bit? I'm supposed to meet a few other moms here, but I'm rather early."

Mara turned to consult the others, but Nora cut in with a wide grin. "Mrs. McClanahan, we would love it if you say with us. I hope you don't mind, but we planned on sitting a few rows up from the bench."

"It's no problem. I can move when the others get here," she replied.

Mrs. McClanahan did not end up moving when the other moms arrived. Instead, the moms decided to join them. They were introduced to Mrs. Ramsey, Mrs. Janaszak, and Mrs. Verchota, who had traveled an hour and a half for the game. Nora just about died when Phil's mother joined them, regretting her hospitality toward Mrs. McClanahan.

"Well, this will be interesting," Nora whispered to Mara.

"So, how do you girls know our boys?" Mrs. Ramsey asked with a friendly, interested smile.

Mara considered the question carefully, trying to draw on what she had told Gayle a few weeks ago, but her hesitation allowed for Mrs. McClanahan to offer the explanation.

"Oh, Mara is friends with Robbie from school," she told the others with delight, "and is probably well acquainted with your boys too."

Nodding, Mara added, "Kelsey and I work at Sally's, a bar near the U, which the boys frequent. We've gotten to know the team a bit. We've come to a couple of games."

"I take it a couple of the boys have caught your eye?" Mrs. Janaszak asked with a playful understanding. "My husband was a hockey player, so I know the draw."

"And I know my son," Mrs. Verchota interhected. "There's no way he'd let any pretty girls slip by."

Nora had to bite her tongue, but they all had a good chuckle. Perhaps sitting with the moms wouldn't be so bad. They seemed like a fun bunch.

"Well, fess up, ladies," Mrs. Ramsey continued as the boys took the ice. "We want to hear everything."

During the game, the three girls provided the moms with a running commentary about the players. Kelsey shared that she was seeing John Harrington and they talked about which boys flirted the most at the bar, but the moms did not seem overly surprised by much of it. They clearly knew their boys and knew the likes of hockey players.

Both Mara and Nora were hesitant to tell them about their boys – and for good reason. Nora didn't know how much Phil's mom knew about their turbulent relationship during college. They had meet a couple of times when Phil and Nora were dating but it might make things awkward to reveal that she was currently seeing one of his teammates. Mara didn't think her relationship with Silky was worth sharing until Mrs. McClanahan leaned over and asked,

"Has anything happened between you and Robbie yet?"

Mara's cheeks warmed and her eyes widened, caught completely off guard by such a direct question. She shook her head. "Oh – no, Mrs. McClanahan, he and I are still just friends."

"He better wise up before it's too late," she replied with a shake of her head. "I always thought you two would be good for each other, having been friends all this time."

Drawing in a breath, Mara decided that it was best to be truthful. "Actually, I'm seeing one of the other boys on the team – Dave Silk."

"Good for you, honey," Mrs. McClanahan said with a smile. "I think a lot of girls would wait around for my Robbie to come to his senses. I'm glad you're smarter than that."

Pleasantly surprised by the reception, Mara chuckled. "He's been a good friend."

By the time they were halfway through the second period, Nora and Kelsey were getting a taste of what Mara meant by the 'stench from the bench.' Every so often the air would shift and send an unpleasant odor their way. When the scent drifted past them, the revulsion on her friends' faces were priceless.

"I think we're going to need to move during the second intermission," Nora complained, covering her nose. "It's as awful as you said, Mara. I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

In the second half of the second period, the game started to heat up. The U.S. team was out scoring the Gophers, 5-1, and it was clear the Gophers were getting agitated. Both teams were throwing bodies around, making good, solid checks on one another. The former Minnesota players were out to prove something against their old team.

Rob took a hard hit along the boards, but was able to squirt the puck out to Johnson. Johnson took it out to center and passed it to Silky, who carried it into Gopher territory. He blew around a defender, took the shot, and scored topside. The crowd leapt to its feet, cheering. It didn't matter which team scored, the crowd made noise. Mara stood and clapped loudly.

"That was Silky smooth," Nora shouted once the crowd had quieted down some.

Mara laughed and leaned over to the moms. "Nora had lots of nicknames and crazy sayings for all the boys."

"Yeah, I think I've got to work on that one though," Nora admitted, sitting back down.

Just as the period was winding down, the Gophers crashed the net and the U.S. team took exception to it. A fight broke out between two sets of players while the others grabbed hold of their opponents jerseys to keep them from getting involved. Verchota and his player were going at it, blow for blow. When the second brawling pair spun around, Mara was surprised to see Silky involved. He held his own against the feisty Gopher. She cringed when the two players fell to the ice. One of the referees intervened and they were pulled apart. A few moments later, Verchota and his opponent hit the ice.

"That's my boy!" Mrs. Verchota announced proudly.

Verchota was led to the penalty box while Silky headed for the locker room. They all watched as Doc followed him out.

"Will he be all right?" Kelsey asked nervously through her fingers as the buzzer sounded to end the period.

Mara nodded and shrugged, not too worried. "Yeah, Doc'll patch him up. He probably just got socked in the nose."

"You say that like it's an everyday thing," Kelsey replied, amused.

"When you've been around hockey as long as I have, you get used to a little bloodshed."

The third period was hard fought, but the Gophers only came up with one more goal. The U.S. routed them 8-2 in the end. All the moms seemed proud of the hard work their boys put into the game. As they layered up to leave, Mrs. Ramsey asked,

"Do you know where we can go to wait for the boys?"

All three girls nodded and Mara spoke up. "Yes. Did you all park in the front lot?" When they nodded, she continued, "I'd suggest bringing your cars around to the back lot – it's where all the boys park. We usually wait for them there."

After the moms left, the girls took their usual route. The lot was actually empty when they arrived because their exit was not delayed. They crossed to Frank Hudson's truck and lowered the tailgate. Mara grabbed a blanket from inside the truck and laid it down on the cold metal. The girls settled in to wait.

It was strange having the moms wait with them, but just like the game, it was enjoyable. They seemed to have such a good time together. It was clear that they must have enjoyed one another's company over the last few hockey seasons.

"Is Broten really leaving with her?" Nora asked in disbelief as they watched him escort Holly to his car. "I thought he'd have better taste than that."

"She looks like one of Mike's friends," Mrs. Ramsey said lightly.

"She's been making the rounds," Mara said bluntly, but then adjusted her statement. "Well, at least she's shown interest in a few of the boys."

Rizzo, Rob, and Johnson were working their way through the crowd. Rob had yet to notice his mother waiting nearby. He chatted up some of the girls, signing autographs and taking a couple of photos. Mara had to chuckle at the amused look on Mrs. McClanahan's face as she watched her son.

"You are witnessing hockey players in their natural habitat," Mara quipped, keeping an eye on Rob as well.

Naturally, Nora could not sit idly by when there was a prime opportunity to embarrass Rob. She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "Don't do anything you'll regret, studmuffin – you're mama's watching!"

"Studmuffin?" Mrs. McClanahan repeated, thoroughly entertained.

"I told you, she had nicknames for everybody," Mara reminded her as Rob jogged over and hugged his mom.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Rob demanded, but looked quite pleased.

Mrs. McClanahan blinked indignantly. "Well, if you'd return my phone calls, I would have. Not to worry, dear, Mara and her friends have been so sweet – sharing stories about you boys."

Rob shot a look at Mara with raised eyebrows. "Have they?"

Mara didn't have a chance to respond to Rob because more players exited the arena and joined the crowd, Janny included. Nora and Kelsey were helping Mrs. Janaszak and Mrs. Ramsey with player names. It didn't take long for Janny to spot his mom. He made his way over and gave her a big hug.

"What have been telling my mom?" Rob demanded curiously.

"That is none of your business, Robert. Unless you've got something to be ashamed of," Mrs. McClanahan cut in, quirking an eyebrow at her son.

"Wow, you've really won over my mom," he said with a laugh.

"I've always liked Mara. She is a very sensible girl," Mrs. McClanahan said matter-of-factly. She leaned toward Mara and said, "Now I want you to point out this boy of yours when he gets out here."

Mara blushed when Rob shot her a bemused look. Scanning the scene to avoid his gaze, she realized that Nora and Kelsey had abandoned her. It was probably for the best because Verchota appeared and greeted his mom with enthusiasm. Mara laughed as Phil's mom harassed him about the girls, ordering him to be careful who he took home.

"Will someone please pull my son out of there? I'd like to see him before he wanders off," Mrs. Ramsey asked, looking a little perturbed. Rob agreed to interrupt the conversation that Rammer was having with a group of girls.

"It's too bad Nora is not here," Mara told the older women. "She would have jumped at the chance to run some interference. I like to intervene when the boys need a little help getting away. Rammer looks like he is enjoying himself though."

"You girls are having some fun, aren't you?" Mrs. Ramsey said.

"We try." Mara chuckled. Light from the open door caught her eye. Ralph stepped out, followed by Christian and Silky. She nudged Mrs. McClanahan and pointed. "That's him – just there."

She nodded her approval. "He is a looker. Not like my Robbie, but not bad."

Mara grinned as Silky and Christian neared. They had skipped through the crowd unscathed. She politely introduced them to Rob and Rammer's moms just as the two boys returned. Mrs. McClanahan said goodbye, giving Mara a hug after Rob said he'd walk her to her car. With everyone gone, Silky and Christian sat down on either side of Mara.

"You seem pretty close to the McClanahan's," Christian observed, watching Rob and his mom walk across the lot.

"Not really," Mara explained. "I've met his parents a bunch of times. They are a nice family."

"I wonder why so many parents came out tonight?" Silky asked, looking out at the crowd.

"They're local families – well, Verchota's mom had a bit of a drive," she told them. "I think they planned to come together. They must have sat together at Gopher games or something. They were a lot of fun, asking about all you boys."

"It makes me miss my mom," Silky admitted somberly and Christian agreed.

Mara did not get a chance to reply, because Nora and Baker walked up to them. Nora announced loudly,

"Shall we take this party somewhere else? It's Friday night, people!"

"We've got to wait for OC; he's our ride," Christian said, hopping off the gate. "He's over there chatting up some girl, so it might be a while."

"You can ride with me," Mara offered. "I don't mind. Where are we going?"

"Back to the dorm, for now. I am sure as hell not going out in this get up," Baker replied, indicating the dress pants, shirt, and tie.

"I'll let OC know we're leaving," Christian said, walking away.

"See you in a bit," Nora said as she and Baker also retreated.

As Mara folded up the blanket, Silky wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. She looked up at him and frowned. His injury from the game was noticeable as his eye was red and swollen. It would probably be black and blue by the morning.

"That guy popped you good," she said.

He shrugged. "It's not my first. I'll be fine in a few days. Doc said it'll probably bruise though."

"Looks that way," Mara replied. "I'm sure the other guy looks worse."

She kissed him again and then went to put the blanket away. Silky closed the gate. On her way back around, Mara stopped short when she saw her grandfather walking toward the truck, eyeing the young hockey player curiously. Hurrying forward, she greeted her grandfather and offered an introduction,

"Pap, I'd like you to meet Dave Silk. He plays right wing for the U.S. team. Dave, this is my grandfather, Frank Hudson."

"Nice to meet you, Dave," Frank said as he shook Silky's hand.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Hudson," Silky replied with a firm nod and then looked over at Mara. "I'm going to find Davey. We'll meet you at the car."

"Going somewhere?" Frank asked after Silky had walked a few paces.

Mara smiled sheepishly under his gaze. "Probably out for drinks somewhere. Nora and Kelsey are going too. No need to worry – most of them are decent guys."

Frank nodded. "Well, you kids have fun tonight. Be safe!"

"Thanks, Pap. We will." Mara was so grateful he did ask any questions about Silky. It made her wonder how much he had seen, but that was something to worry about later.

With most of the boys still at the rink, the second floor of Sanford felt empty. Christian left when they passed his room. Mara looked in the common room when they passed, hoping to find Nora, but as she suspected her friend was not there. Silky led her down the hallway toward his room.

"Aren't you just going change?" Mara asked as they neared his door.

"I can think of a few other things we could do," he said quietly, pushing open the door.

Mara followed him inside. As the door shut behind them, he pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers. Overwhelmed momentarily, it took her a second to accept the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the favor. She felt his arms tighten around her. After a few fervent minutes, they parted, both a little out of breath. Mara sat back against the desk and grinned wildly. He put a hand to his swollen eye.

"That was kind of painful," he said, his eyes dancing, "but worth it. We don't do that nearly enough."

Mara couldn't help but laugh. "This is – what – maybe the third time we've actually hung out?"

"Is that really all?" Silky asked, slightly astonished.

"Well, there was the night we danced and then you left for three weeks. I don't really count that time outside of Sally's, nor do I count the times I saved you from vultures. You kissed me at the last big party, but then drank a whole lot. Mario's was nice, but then you left. Saw each other for ten minutes in the parking lot and then you left again. Now here we are."

"I really wasted that one night being drunk, huh?" Mara nodded with certainty. "I'm glad you're still around."

"Me too," she agreed as he wrapped her up in his arms again. The kisses were a little less fervent this time around.

A knock on the door made Mara jump and the two bumped heads. He groaned because she got him right near his bad eye. Mortified, Mara gasped, "I am so sorry!"

"You guys all right in there?" It was Christian. "I don't want to come in if I'm interrupting anything."

"You're not," Mara called back. Christian opened the door a crack and peeked in at them.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Mara and I just collided a bit is all." Silky looked at his teammate through one eye.

Christian looked skeptical, but gave a shrug. "You better change, Silky – if you guys are coming with us. Some of the boys just got back. We're meeting in the common room in ten minutes."

"We'll be out in a few then," Silky replied, shutting the door once Christian had gone down the hall."I'm so sorry," Mara apologized again, smiling gingerly.

"Don't worry about it," he assured her, pulling off his tie. He started unbuttoning his shirt.

"Do you want me to step outside while you undress?" Mara asked quickly.

He looked over at her. "You don't have to."

She averted her eyes while he took off his shirt, but then curiosity got the best of her and she slowly moved her eyes back to where he was stood, pulling off his belt. Mara's eyes widened as she drank in his athletic figure. She knew he would be fit, but he was almost too perfectly toned to be real. The room suddenly grew uncomfortably warm. As he was about to remove his pants, Mara closed her eyes. Heat rushed to her cheeks. If she saw any more, she wasn't certain what she'd do.

"Are you okay, Mara?"

She opened one eye to find Silky pulling on a t-shirt and looking at her with a perceptive smile. With both eyes opened, she nodded. An appreciative smile pulled on her lips as she looked him over. "I'm good."

He chuckled and stole another kiss. "Ready?"

Together they walked to the common room, hand in hand.

* * *

><p>The decision was made to go to one of the nearby clubs. There were plenty of people in the joint when they arrived. While the boys huddled over at the bar, Nora wasted no time pulling Mara aside.<p>

"What were you and Silky doing in his room? You looked all flushed and frazzled when you two emerged."

"All we did was make-out a little," Mara confessed with a shrug.

Nora narrowed her eyes. "You're a terrible liar, Mara. I know there is more."

Rolling her eyes, Mara shared a little more detail. "I took a look at him while he undressed. That boy is fit."

"I'm not surprised," Nora replied coolly. She looked back over to the bar where Silky, Baker, OC, Ralph, and Christian stood, waiting to order drinks. Another glance around the room gave her an idea of what kind of crowd they were dealing with. A handful of girl were staring the boys down. "So, let's just observe for a moment, shall we? I want to see how long it takes for one of those girls to go talk to them."

"What if one of them goes after Baker?" Mara asked, turning her attention on the bar.

"I'll scratch her eyes out," Nora replied flatly. "You just keep an eye on that redhead over there. I think she's got a lock on Silky. No, wait, that blonde girl is definitely moving in."

"Well that took all of thirty seconds."

The two girls watched as the blonde girl made her move toward the boys. Jack caught sight of her first and smiled, thinking she was interested. She shot him a look that clearly said she wasn't, skipping around him to where Christian sat and sidled up to him. Mara and Nora snickered at the dejected look on Jack's face. A few minutes later, the blonde was leading a stunned but pleased Christian onto to the dance floor.

"OC does not look happy," Mara said with a laugh as Jack down his beer quickly.

"Don't look now, Mar, but Red is about to make her move," Nora remarked with some amusement. Mara tensed as she watched it all unfold.

Red, as she had been lovingly dubbed by Nora, crossed to the bar and stood beside Silky, signaling for a drink from the bartender. Without wasting any time, Red moved into a conversation with him. Silky engaged her without displaying much interest, but Red bumped it up a notch. She touched his arm and ran her hand along his back, all the while flashing a flirtatious smile.

"Breathe, Mara," Nora reminded her, noticing her friend's dark expression.

Silky took a step back, colliding with Baker in the process, and looked over at Mara and Nora. Taking the drinks that had been ordered; he left Red high and dry. When he got close, he handed Mara her drink and leaned in to whisper, "You're much more my type," and then kissed her.

"Ooh, smooth move, Silky," Nora praised him. "Red looks pretty disappointed. She'll have to move on to some other sap."

At that moment the other boys walked over. Jack, who was clearly still pondering the blonde's decision, looked between Mara and Nora. "Honestly, who would you choose if you had to pick between me and Davey?"

"Davey," both girls said at the same time without missing a beat. The boys heckled Jack, who looked little hurt.

"What's he got that I don't?" Jack demanded.

"Curls for the girls," Nora replied quickly.

Mara chuckled and linked her arm through Jack's. "Come on, Jacky boy, let's find you a lady. I will not have you mope all night because Davey bested you. There is bound to be some broad in here for you."

"No girl will make a move with you around," Jack insisted.

"Then you make the move, big shot," Mara quipped with a pointed look. "Which girl will it be then? You've got your pick tonight. I'll be your wingman – er – woman."

"Yeah, like that's going to work," Jack snorted with disbelief. It might be worth a shot though, having already been turned down once. He cursed himself for not telling the girl from the rink where to meet, but it was unknown at the time. He shook his head, hardly believing he was agreeing to this. "Okay, I'm game."

"Good," Mara said, pulling him toward the dance floor sot that they had a good view of the options. "You choose the girl and I'll do a little recon for you. When I give you the signal, you make a move."

Jack chewed his lip and scanned the room, looking for his ideal girl – at least as far as looks. There was a blonde bombshell standing by the bar, but there was also a blonde sitting with a group that looked promising. "I think I'll give that blonde girl in the booth a try."

Mara was relieved. She thought for sure he would go for the blonde at the bar. It probably wouldn't have worked out anyhow. "Wait here."

She weaved between people and stopped in front of the table full of girls. It felt like such a silly thing to be doing, but if Jack was going to sulk all night, it would be worth it. "You girls like hockey players?"

The circle of girls gave her strange looks, but shrugged and nodded a little in response. One of them answered, "Yeah, sure, why not."

"Well, I've got a friend over there. He's interested in you," she explained, looking pointedly at the blonde and then glanced back at Jack. "He's standing over by the column with the collared shirt. Interested?"

The blonde shifted in her seat to get a look at Jack and seemed pleased. "Definitely!"

"Cool. His name is Jack. He's a decent guy. A bunch of his teammates are with him and I'm sure they would love to meet you other ladies, if you're interested," Mara said feeling confident. She couldn't imagine any of the boys saying no to the company of girls. A few of the others at the table seemed mildly curious as they looked around the room. Turning, she beckoned Jack over and then bid farewell to the girls.

"Go get 'em, big guy," Mara said with a wink when they passed one another. He gave her an appreciative nod, surprised that it actually worked.

"What the hell was that?" Ralph asked incredulously as Mara rejoined them.

"Don't worry, Ralph. She's got plenty of friends for you to choose from." Mara sipped her drink. "I mean, if you guys wanted to hear OC whine all night then I'll go grab Davey and introduce him to that girl."

The consensus from the group was a resounding 'no'. They were all quite happy to be free from a down and out Jack. It didn't take long for the other girls from the table to work their way over the hockey players. Everyone hit the floor for some dancing.

"So are you in town for a little while now?" Mara asked Silky while they danced to a slow tune.

"We've got three games next week, two on the road," he replied. "I think we're in town for about a week after that though."

"Getting any quicker?" Mara asked with a glint in her eye, knowing that Herb had been hounding him about being slow-footed.

He shook his head with a small grin and imitated his coach. "Pick it up, Silky! You're playing worse and worse, and right now you're playing like it's the middle of next week!"

Mara pulled a face, confused. "I'm not sure I understand that, but it doesn't sound good."

"It's not just me though. I don't think he's said anything encouraging since we've started this whole thing."

"Well, I think you boys have come a long way since taking those tests a few months back. Even Rob and Jack are getting along," she said, looking over at Jack who was still dancing with the same girl. Silky followed her gaze.

"I think you get bonus points if OC gets laid tonight."

Mara rolled her eyes, but she did not get a chance to respond because Kelsey stormed up to them, looking livid and near tears.

"We need to leave now!" she insisted, blinking rapidly.

Mara looked at her friend with alarm and reached out to her. "What happened? Are you okay? Where's Bah?"

At the mention of his name, Kelsey burst into tears and ran for the exit. Mara exchanged a bewildered look with Silky and then hurried after her. Just as she reached the door, Nora caught up and was at her side.

"What's going on? I saw Kelsey run out the door," she queried, looking concerned.

Mara shrugged as she pushed open the door. "No idea. She came over to me, burst into tears, and then fled."

When the two girls got outside, they looked up and down the street, but didn't see any sign of Kelsey. The pair exchanged a worried look and then split up to check around the corners. Mara found her sitting at a bus stop. Back tracking a bit, she shouted for Nora. Then she sat down and put an arm around Kelsey's shaking shoulders. Nora arrived shortly after.

"What the hell happened in there, Kelsey?" Nora demanded, not caring about the harshness in her tone. Kelsey's behavior had put Nora on edge.

"Come on, Kel," Mara urged, stealing a glance up at Nora, "tell us what happened."

"He never really liked me," she stammered, sobbing harder than before. "I was just a pretty face and an easy lay because I'm always around."

"He said that?" Nora asked with disgust.

Finally looking up from her hands, Kelsey took a deep breath and nodded. "I overheard him when I got back from the bathroom."

"Are you sure you heard correctly?" Mara pressed, just to be certain. She didn't want to believe it.

"I'm nothing more than a warm body to him," Kelsey stated and sniffled. "I guess my name will go on their stupid list."

"At least he's not messing around with any other girls," Nora offered to ease the tension a little.

"I think I just want to go home," Kelsey said, looking between her friends with puffy, red eyes. "Sorry to ruin your night."

"You're not ruining anything," Mara told her firmly, patting her on the back. "This is exactly the reason hockey players have the reputations they do."

"Mara, you stay – I'll take Kelsey home," Nora offered. "Just tell Baker I left."

"You sure?" she asked. Nora nodded assuredly. "Okay, I'll let him know. I will call you tomorrow."

Mara walked with the girls until they peeled off to Nora's car. She watched them momentarily, feeling all sorts of things for Kelsey. As she stood there, anger started to rise inside her and she stalked back into the club. Scanning the room, she crossed to where Baker stood with some of the boys. They all looked up at her with some interest.

"What's going on?" Rizzo asked first.

Inhaling deeply and looking around at the waiting face, she provided them with the short version. There was no need to get into all the details. "Nora is taking Kelsey home."

"Did something happen?" Baker asked, looking concerned. "Nora took off after we saw Kelsey leave the building."

Mara did not know how much to divulge. Part of her wanted to yell at all of them to be sensible about girls, but she decided that would make her look a little crazy. It was tough because she thought Bah was a decent guy, but he had hurt her friend and that was all she could focus on at the moment.

"Something to do with Bah, I don't know. She just asked to take her home," Mara said, giving them some general insight.

Suddenly, she felt very distant from all of them, because she couldn't help but wonder if she and Nora were getting played as well. Nora likely wouldn't care either way, unless she was being truthful about falling for Baker. Mara still felt like she was getting to know Silky, so she couldn't be too sure. He seemed nice enough, but then again so had Bah. It was all very overwhelming. Mara hadn't questioned any of it until now. It seemed strange since they had known one another for a couple of months, but really hadn't spent that much time together. Determining her relationship with Silky seemed like a worthwhile conversation to be had, but for now there were other fish to fry.

"Where's Bah?" she asked and Rizzo pointed her to a table across the room. He was sitting with Pav, Suter, Ralph, and Janny. Before anyone could stop her, she walked over to them.

"Hey, Mara," Ralph said with a goofy smile. The beer had clearly gotten to him. She did not acknowledge him, but instead kept her gaze on Bah. His face lit up when he noticed her.

"Have you seen Kelsey anywhere?" he asked, not picking up on the stern look that Mara was giving him. "She went to the bathroom a while ago but hasn't come back."

"She left," Mara replied icily, "but what do you care?"

He seemed taken aback by Mara's tone but chose to focus on the more important part. "Why'd she leave? Who'd she go with?"

"She overheard you talking to your boys here," Mara informed him pointedly, incensed. "A pretty face and an easy lay, really? You are such an ass for stringing her along, John Harrington. I don't give a shit how many girls you boys get with – it's none of my business – but Kelsey is my friend. Next time make sure the girl knows what she's getting herself into."

She turned away without looking at any of the other boys and walked back across the room. Halfway to the other group, she met Rob. He was on his way to the table she had just been at. He looked at her curiously, grabbing her arm as she passed. She had no choice but to stop.

"You all right?" he asked, looking concerned.

She made a quick decision then and there. "Will you take me home?"

He furrowed his brows for a second, somewhat confused, but nodded. "Sure. You okay?"

"Fine – I just really need to get out of here."

"You don't want Silky to take you?"

"No. Rob, please?"

He complied once again. Mara asked him to stay put while she went over to say goodbye.

"Rob is going to take me home. Can we talk tomorrow?"

Silky frowned, not sure what to make of the sudden turn in the night and her need to depart. "Yeah, okay. Is everything all right?"

"I'm just tired," she replied, not giving him the whole truth. He nodded but did not look convinced.

"Okay, do you want to tell me what is going on now?" Rob demanded once they had gotten into the car and on the road.

Mara held her head in her hands and shook her head. "I've had too much to drink."

"Stop lying, Mara, and tell me. What happened with Kelsey?"

"Fine," she huffed, hating that Nora and Rob could always tell when she was not being truthful. "Kelsey overheard Bah basically saying that he was using her because she is around. I guess I'm just worried it's the same way with Dave, but I didn't want to have that conversation with him tonight – like I said, kind of drunk."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much," Rob said with a sly grin. "Besides, Silky knows that I'll kick his ass if he hurts you."

Mara sighed. "Maybe I overreacted a little bit, but Kelsey was so upset. I've never seen her like that before."

"Silky is not Bah," Rob replied, pulling into her driveway and shifting into park. He looked over and smiled. "From what I've seen, I think he is really into you. Give him the benefit of the doubt – tonight wasn't his fault."

"You're so wise, Robbie McClanahan," Mara remarked with a grin. "I don't know what I'd do without you. Thanks for the ride home."

"Any time," Rob offered as she climbed from the car.


	10. Determining the Relationship

"Dave!" Mara called through the door, knocking for the third time.

After spending the morning with Nora and Kelsey, Mara felt like this relationship with Silky had to be determined and defined before things progressed. She had to know where she stood and it could not wait. So there she stood on the second floor of Sanford Hall, pounding on his door before noon. Jack said Silky was in his room, which was why she hadn't given up yet, but there was no indication that he was inside the room. She knocked again.

"Dave!" she said a little more loudly, wondering if he was angry that she had left with Rob so abruptly. Two doors down, Christian popped his head out into the hall and peered at her through bleary eyes.

"Hey, Mara," he mumbled, shuffling in her direction.

"Sorry," she replied, eyeing the sleepy hockey player with interest. "I didn't realize I was being so loud."

"It's okay." Christian shrugged, stifling a yawn. "I thought maybe Cindy had come back and was lost. Not unlikely considering the state she was in last night."

Mara raised her brows. "The blonde from the bar last night?"

"Yeah," he said brightly. "We came back here and…"

"Spare me the details, Davey," Mara cut in quickly, looking slightly repulsed. "I'm happy for you, but I really don't need to know."

He chuckled and then asked, "Are you looking for Silky? You sure he's in there?"

Nodding, Mara looked back at the door. "OC said he should be, but I've been pounding on the door for a solid five minutes."

"He's asleep." She looked at him skeptically, wondering how someone could sleep through such racket. "Once Silky passes out, a train could roll through the room and he wouldn't wake up. Believe me – I roomed with him in Europe."

"I bet you boys had some fun with that when you realized." Mara chuckled as Christian nodded devilishly.

He tested the doorknob. It was unlocked. Christian was just telling her to go inside when the door opened up and Silky looked out at the two of them, rubbing his good eye. The other was bruised and swollen from last night's fisticuffs.

"What are you doing here?"

The tiniest of amused smiles pulled at Mara's lips as she gave Silky the up-down. He must have rolled right out of bed because his was sticking up on its ends. At least he had the sense to put on sweatpants before stepping out into the hall. For a split second, Mara almost forgot why she had dropped by, but then she remembered.

"Can we talk?" she asked and he nodded.

Sensing that he was no longer needed, Christian bowed out and returned to his own room.

Mara stepped inside and Silky closed the door. She felt a little nervous. He leaned against the desk, still wiping the sleep form his eyes, and waited for her to speak. Biting her lips, she looked him square in the eye and asked directly, "What are we doing?"

Frowning, his eyebrows furrowed a bit. "What do you mean?"

"I mean us – together. What exactly is this?"

"Does this have something to do with last night?" he asked slowly with an earnest look. "I heard about what happened with Kelsey."

Mara hesitated, thinking about what Rob said the night before about giving Silky the benefit of the doubt, and then nodded. "We don't know each other that well, Dave, and I just don't want to get too involved if it's not meant to be that way. I just need to know what this is."

Silky folded his arms over his chest and frowned thoughtfully. "I'm not sure I know. You just fell into my lap – literally. I've enjoyed the time we've spent together. It's nice to have something to think about that isn't about hockey." He looked up at her and smiled appreciatively, but then the expression faltered. He hung his head and sighed. "The thing is though, I could be cut from the team at any moment – any of us could. It wouldn't surprise me if I didn't make the final roster for the games. Herb's been riding me really hard lately."

Chewing nervously on her lip, Mara listened to him intently. Her emotions ran the gamut while he spoke: relief, mirth, gratification, embarrassment, compassion, and a touch of sadness at the thought of him leaving the team. Watching him as he spoke, she observed the genuine fear in his eyes when he talked about getting cut from the team. A wave of guilt washed over her for having been so caught up in her friend's problems. It was obvious she had rushed to conclusions for no reason. It eased her mind to know that they were on the same page with their relationship.

Inching closer to him, Mara smiled apologetically and took his hands. "I'm sorry I let all that get to me. You've been nothing but sweet. I've enjoyed our time together too."

He let his hands fall away from hers, resting them on her hips. He pulled her closer as he stood and brushed a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "I'm glad we've cleared that up."

After exchanging a long kiss, Mara gently pushed him away and grinned. "You better step up your game. I don't want you going home too soon."

Silky gave a short laugh and then asked, "What are you up to today?"

"I work later, but aside from that – nothing."

"Want to grab lunch?"

"Sure," she replied with a shrug as he moved toward his closet. "Um, I'll just step out while you change."

"You don't have to," he informed her, shifting through a pile of clean clothes.

"No, I think I will," she said firmly, recalling what happened yesterday. She chuckled. "If you take any more off, I'm not sure I could keep my hands to myself."

He froze in mid-motion and then turned slowly to look at her with wide eyes and a wry smile. "And that's a bad thing?"

"For now it is," Mara replied with a wink and walked out the door.

Out in the hallway, it sounded like the television was on in the common room. Mara decided to go investigate. Rob, Jack, Ralph, and Baker were sprawled out on the furniture. They greeted her as she moved behind them to see what they were watching. A look of amusement appeared on her face as she took in their choice of program.

"So big bad hockey players watch Scooby-Doo on Saturday morning?" she half stated, half asked.

"Only until the North Stars come on," Rob replied quickly. He turned in his seat to look at her, curious about her presence in the middle of the day. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to Dave," she replied casually, taking a seat on the arm of the sofa. "We're going to grab some lunch in a few minutes."

"That is a really good idea," Jack said, looking around at the others. "What do you say, boys?"

"Where are you and Silky going?" Ralph inquired, not taking his eyes from the screen.

"I don't know."

"I'm ready if you are, Mara," Silky asked, stepping into the room.

"Sure am," she replied, rising from her seat.

"I'm ready too, Silky," Jack added with a devious smile.

"Me too!" Ralph and Baker agreed at the same time. Ralph turned off the television.

"Seriously?" Silky shot a look at Mara, who just shrugged lightheartedly.

"Yeah," Rob replied with a grin as they filed passed him. He patted his disgruntled teammate on the shoulder. "Someone has to supervise the two of you."

The group decided on Mario's since Mara ruled out Sally's. The former Gopher players introduced the rest of the boys to the pizza joint recently and it was quickly becoming a favorite spot for meals. They ended up taking two cars because Christian decided to join them on their way out. Rob, Christian, and Baker were very happy to find the North Stars game playing at the restaurant.

Naturally their conversation fell to hockey, both the game on television and the games they were training for. Mara did not mind at all. She knew enough about the ins and outs of the game that she could keep up with their discussion. It amazed her how much animosity and fear the boys felt toward their head coach. She knew from Rob and Silky that Herb was being hard on them, but it wasn't until listening to them talk at lunch that she got a real, honest glimpse into their world. It was no wonder that on their days off their wanted to do things that required very little activity.

Mara dropped the boys off at the dorms after lunch, but Silky didn't get out of the car. Before the others could get very far, Mara called out the window after them, "Oh, hey! Next Friday, Sally's is having their annual Halloween party. It's always a good time – Robbie and Baker know all about it. If you're not doing anything, you should come over."

Once the boys were gone, Silky asked, "Now that we're rid of them, what should we do?"

Mara pondered the question for a moment, considering their options, and looked at her watch. "We don't have to if you don't want to, but there is open skating at The Barn. I'd understand if you don't."

"As long as you ask me to do any Herbies, I don't mind."

"Also, it's only fair to warn you, I'm a terrible skater – like embarrassingly bad."

He offered a skeptical half-smile. "I doubt you're _that _embarrassing."

Mara made a face to suggest otherwise as they walked over toward the university's arena. Inside, there were a few families and a handful of student circling the rink. Mara always marveled at the fact that more students didn't take advantage of the open skate, but she was thankful that there weren't too many people around. It would make looking like a fool so much easier.

The pair rented hockey skates; Mara always felt like they had more support than figure skates.

"I wish I had my skates," Silky complained as he laced up the rentals. "These just don't feel right."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Mara nodded, wrapping the long laces around the ankle and knotting them. "I've got a pair that I keep at the Met for when I feel like practicing, but these will do."

"Ready?" Silky asked, standing and then helping her to her feet.

They walked to the rink door and stepped out onto the ice. Mara grabbed a hold of the boards and moved her feet in short shuffles along the side. Silky spun around and skating backwards, watching her a moment before taking her arm to help out. He tried to guide her away from the boards, but she flailed her arms, trying to keep balanced.

"I told you I was terrible," Mara exclaimed, moving her legs stiffly and holding onto him for dear life.

"You're wicked embarrassing," Silky replied with a laugh, dragging her along. "What if I just let go?"

She let out yelp and froze in place when he released. With her arms still stretched out toward him, she yelled, "Get back here. Don't leave me!"

"Just move your feet, Mara."

Her tiny strides made her look like an eighty year old trying to skate without breaking a hip. They were steps rather than glides. With Silky's encouragement, Mara attempted a bigger stride and then promptly fell on her backside. She laid there while Silky doubled back. Giggling could be heard from a short distance away. Mara turned to see who might be having a laugh at her expense and was annoyed to find a couple of familiar vulture faces looking her way. Narrowing her eyes at the pair, Mara's face twisted cunningly as she let Silky pull her off the ice.

"Tag – you're it!" Mara cried. Her face lit up brightly as she spun and faced him, pushing herself backwards. After witnessing his revelation of her deception, she took off around the perimeter, weaving around the other skaters. With a peek over her shoulder, she noticed him gaining on her. He grabbed her elbow when he got closed enough and pulled her to a stop.

"Can't skate, huh?"

"It was going to be a miracle for the next time," Mara admitted with a laugh and then tossed a look at the two vultures who were now giving her the stink eye. "But, I couldn't let those girls think I was such an awful skater. They might try to use that against me in their attempts to woo you."

"You really had me going," Silky confessed as they moved leisurely around the ice.

"I can't believe you fell for that," she replied. "I'm a Minnesotan – we're practically born with skates on our feet!"

* * *

><p>"Heels were definitely a bad idea," Mara groaned, tossing an anguished look at Jess, who was tending the bar alongside Brenda.<p>

Jess laughed at Mara's expression. "Yeah, but you look totally fab!"

Short spurts of conversation were all the girls managed as the crowd started to pick up and orders were flying in from every direction. Sally's annual Halloween party always drew a big crowd because they offered deals on drinks and played loud music. It was all hands on deck for the evening, in both staff and security. Sal, the owner, was even on hand to make sure things were running smoothly for one of the most popular nights. Mara already looked forward to being relieved at eleven-thirty, which was still a few hours away.

"You look fantastic yourself," Mara replied, admiring Jess' choice in costume.

Jess, who typically worked opposite shifts from Mara, was dressed as Marilyn Monroe. For the last week, however, Mara and Jess had worked together a lot, because Kelsey was doing all she could to avoid Bah. It didn't matter tonight since all of them had been scheduled to work. All of Sally's girls were really playing it up tonight, dancing and singing along with the music. They all were in costumes, which definitely helped bring in the tips. Mara had even done a couple of shots with some of the patrons that offered.

"It's getting crazy in here!" Kelsey yelled over the music when she came back to fill an order. "The boys are starting to get handsy."

"What do you expect in the getup you're wearing?" Jess shouted back. Mara nodded in agreement, pouring a couple beers for her tables.

Kelsey had come as Jeannie from the show, 'I Dream of Jeannie.' She even looked a lot like the actress, Barbara Eden, in the outfit. Making a face at Jess, Kelsey grabbed some bottles to mix her drinks. Mara chuckled and set the glasses on a tray to take over to the customers.

"How are you holding up, Kel?" Mara asked, standing beside her friend for a moment to really check in.

Kelsey shrugged, knowing that Mara was referring to her situation with Bah. "I've only seen him from a distance. Thankfully I'm working tables on the other side of the room and it's crowded."

"Here," Mara offered, handing Kelsey a shot. She looked at it skeptically and then tossed it back. Grinning, Mara turned back to pick up her tray just as Aerosmith's Dream On started playing. She sang loudly and weaved her way through the crowd.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe she asked you to wear that!" Jack exclaimed, shaking his head and laughing. He was looking at Silky who was dressed as Mara's counterpart.<p>

Silky just shrugged and smirked. "Don't be jealous, OC. Besides, you'll reap the benefits – think of all the girls I'll have to turn away."

Jack considered this for a moment, smiled broadly, and patted his teammate on the shoulder. "You're a good man, Silky – but you still look ridiculous. I just hope you're well rewarded for your compliance."

Christian and Ralph wandered into the common room where Jack and Silky were drinking beers. They were dressed as Starsky and Hutch. With one look at Silky's costume, they both burst out laughing; Christian doubled over because he was laughing so hard.

"Put some pants on, Silky – God!"

"I've got shorts on underneath," Silky insisted, realizing now that the harassing would go on all night.

"On a normal night we're trying to keep the girls off you," Ralph said, wiping the tears from his eyes. "What do you think will happen with you in that getup?"

"I'm not sure Mara really thought your costumes through," Jack replied, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah, except she probably looks hot," Christian said, dodging the pillow that Silky threw at him.

"Well, gentlemen, shall we?" Jack asked, looking around at the others. They planned to walk to the bar since it was only a few blocks away from the dorm. It would make their night more enjoyable if they didn't have to worry about driving home. "Silky, you may want to bundle up. It's a little chilly outside and we don't want you to get sick."

"I didn't know you cared so much, OC," Silky replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes after the fact. There was some truth to what Jack said, which was why he had a sweatshirt on hand.

"By the way, Jack, who exactly are you supposed to be?" Ralph asked as they made their way outside.

"Johnny Hooker," he replied as though it were obvious. "You know Robert Redford's character in 'The Sting?' I love that movie! He rocks a badass trilby."

"Oh, I thought maybe you were trying for 'Boston mobster' or something," Christian said with a laugh. "They have the mob in Boston, right?"

Sally's was already packed when they got there. The four boys were grateful that some of their teammates had come early and secured a table before the majority of the crowd arrived. The boys felt eyes follow them as they walked across the room and filled in the empty seats at the table. Silky wasn't all that surprised when the boys seated at the table dissolved into laughter at the sight of his costume. He ignored the comments as Jack was already helping himself to a beer and poured each of them one.

Taking a sip of his drink, Silky scanned the room and smiled when he caught a glimpse of Mara people all the people. Christian noticed him staring and followed his gaze.

"I told you she'd be hot," he said, slapping his friend on the back. Silky just grinned and watched her from the distance.

"Pebbles is having a good time, Bamm-Bamm," Nora quipped, nodding toward Mara as she stumbled up to the group and noticed the newcomers. "I think she might be a little tipsy. I saw her accept a few rounds of shots from customers.

Baker and Nora were dressed like Tarzan and Jane. It seemed the girls had collaborated with their themes. Silky was grateful that he wasn't the only one in a ridiculous costume. Conversation around the table picked up, but Silky's eyes kept sliding to wherever Mara happened to be.

* * *

><p>"Seriously, don't let me do another shot," Jess said, sipping on a glass of water between orders. "I might not make it through the night if I do."<p>

"Yeah, I'm done for now." Mara chuckled.

"Did you see your boy come in?" Jess asked, nodding toward the table of hockey players.

Mara sighed as she poured an order of beers. "I guess I'm going to have to behave myself now that he's here."

Jess laughed and went to take an order down at the end of the bar. Mara let her eyes fall to where Silky sat. He was talking with Christian and Jack. The couple had a really good week together, finding time between their schedules to make good on the promise to get to know one another. The team even let them have some time on their own occasionally. Mara glanced over to Nora and Baker; Nora was talking animatedly to Gayle, who had come into town for the weekend. She felt a little sad that she wasn't over there with them, but remember she would get to join them for at least part of the night. Catching Silky's eye, Mara flashed him a smile and then went back to her tables.

It was a while later when she had the chance to check in with the team. Filling a couple of pitchers, she figured it would be a good excuse to stop by and say hello. As she poured the beer, Mara noticed some new bodies had settled in among the boys.

"Damn," Mara breathed, recognizing a few of them as vultures. Why were they always circling? She walked the pitchers over to the table and purposefully stepped between Silky and the vulture, who was practically drooling all over him, to set the beer on the table. "This round is on me, fellas!"

"Mara, have I ever told you how much I love you?" Jack said with a tipsy grin, turning away from the girl that he had been charming. He snatched up one of the pitchers.

"Watch it, OC!" Silky snapped back playfully.

"Love you too, Jacky-poo!" Mara replied with a wink and then turned on Silky. "But I think I'll take you home with me tonight."

She stole a quick kiss from him before making another round at her tables, knowing it crushed the heart of that poor girl beside them. The night progressed in typically fashion with lots of beer and good music. Checking the clock, Mara still had another hour before Rachel relieved her. Time dragged in that last hour. People were becoming more and more intoxicated, which made some of them unbearable.

Mara set a round of beers down on a table of university boys and wiped her hands on her apron. "Need anything else, boys?"

"Yeah, a round of shots and your number would be great," one of the guys said, smirking at his buddies.

Mara's eyebrows rose without a whole lot of expression. "So a round of shots it is."

"What no number?" he asked, looking a little surprised, and grabbed at Mara's hip. "Come on. It'd be fun."

"Don't touch me," Mara told him firmly, shaking her head. Annoyed, she went back to the bar to make the shots. When she returned with the tray, the interested guy had not given up on her.

"What do you say, beautiful? We could go back to my place and see if we can make my bed rock." He eyed his friends with a look that boasted he would definitely score with the suggestive reference.

Mara snorted at his comment. "I see what you did there – because the Flintstones live in Bedrock. Very clever and I applaud your efforts, but I'm still not going home with you. I'm sure any number of girls here would jump at the chance to make your bed rock, but I'm not one of them."

As she turned to leave, the boy stood and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her back toward him. "What's your rush? I'm sure you'll come around sooner or later – they always do."

"Get your hands off me!" Mara demanded, trying to wrench her arm from his grip.

He quickly caught her around the waist and pulled her roughly against him. His hands ran over parts of her body that they shouldn't. "I think I'll take you for a spin on the dance floor."

Mara struggled against his hold and waited for the moment when he'd loosen up enough for her to get away. She cringed as he ran a hand over her backside. Pushing at him was all she could do to keep him from putting his mouth on her. She tried to get the attention of someone on security, because no one else was stepping in. And then before she could even form another thought in her mind, Silky had come up behind the offending guy and grabbed him, pulling him away from Mara.

"Get the hell off of her!"

"What's your problem, dude? This doesn't concern you," the guy replied, getting in Silky's face. "I was here first. Find your own."

"When I have to break your face, it will concern me," he shot back, clenching his fist to swing if needed.

"Excuse me?" the guy snorted, sizing up the hockey player and looking unconvinced.

They were nose to nose now. Mara could see fire in Silky's eyes as he was ready to show the guy exactly what he meant by 'break your face.' She panicked suddenly, not wanting a fight to break out over this. It wasn't worth it.

"Dave, stop!" Mara shouted just as he shoved the guy again. Without thinking, she threw herself between the two impassioned guys, facing Silky to get his attention. She fell against him as the other guy came at him, but it didn't matter. "I swear to God, Dave – stop! Back off!"

A few members of the team who had seem what was happening had pushed through the crowd. Someone finally grabbed the offensive guy and held him from behind. Silky finally turned his attention on Mara. He looked furious as she glared at him.

"Get him out of here," Mara commanded, noticing Ralph and Christian coming up alongside of them. When they stared at her with gaping expressions, she yelled at them again. "I'm serious, get him out of here. Take him home – now!"

The two grabbed Silky, who resisted momentarily because he was still eyeing the other guy with a desire to rip him limb from limb. Mara waited him out until they were able to lead him away. OC and Verchota, who had been standing on the periphery, moved in as though to finish the scuffle for their friend, but Mara stopped them, holding out her hands to impede their path. Neither of them looked happy.

"Philly," she said firmly, looking Verchota square in the eye. "Will you get Hank for me?"

Mara shot Jack a look that clearly told him to stay put; then she rounded on the drunkard that harassed her and his friends. "I want you to get the hell out of here before security comes – and if I see any of the rest of you harassing girls, your asses will be out of here too! Now get!"

Turning around with her adrenaline rushing and heart pounding, Mara walked away from the scene, making sure to take Jack with her before he did something stupid. They crossed paths with Verchota and Hank the security guy. Mara instructed Hank on which patrons needed to be escorted out. Pulling Verchota along with them, she made sure they joined the others before she finished up her shift.

* * *

><p>"Dave, it's Mara," she said through the door after knocking. Immediately after her shift ended, she came over to Sanford Hall.<p>

After a few more beats of silences, Silky finally granted permission for her to enter. Opening the door a crack, Mara peered inside before fully accessing the room. Silky was sitting on the bed, slouched against the headboard, flipping aimlessly through some papers in a binder. The only light came from the small lamp on the bedside table. He hardly looked up when she closed the door behind her and shed her coat.

"Hey," she said, folding her arms over her chest and watching him from where she stood. "What are you reading?"

"Going over plays," he mumbled. His eyes still did not stray from the book on his lap.

Mara frowned, crossed to the bed, and pulled the binder away from him. After setting the binder on the small table, Mara climbed onto the bed, straddling his lap so that they were face to face. "Don't be made at me, Dave."

"I'm not mad at you," he replied unconvincingly, not even looking at her.

She sighed. "Look, I can handle a couple of drunk meatheads myself – their type frequent Sally's. I've dealt with them plenty of times."

"That doesn't make me any less pissed about it," he stated, finally looking her in the eye. "You can't expect me to sit back and watch some guy run his hands all over you."

Feeling him tense at the memory, Mara grinned softly and pecked him on the lips. "Yes, that's exactly what I expect you to do, actually. Although if you were any other guy, I would have let you beat his ass before tossing you out."

"What do you mean, if I were any other guy?"

"You are here to take a spot on the U.S. Olympic hockey team. If you weren't, I would have let you beat that guy senseless. You will not jeopardize you chances to make this team. I am not worth losing that spot over – trust me." She gave him a firm, meaningful look. "I'm glad to support you in all this, but I _will not_ play the part of distracting girlfriend."

Silky blinked a few times, letting her words sink in. He grinned. "So you're my girlfriend now?"

Blushing irritably, she shoved him in the shoulder. "That's what you take from all that?"

He wrapped his arms around her waist. "You are hardly a distraction in any unhelpful ways. You play the part of supportive girlfriend very well, so I think I need to keep you around for a while longer."

"So I'm your girlfriend now?" she teased with a smirk and he nodded; her lips brushed against his. "I was hoping you'd say that."

* * *

><p>As Mara stirred in her sleep, her foot connected sharply with a hard surface. It jarred her mind slowly from the depths of sleep. She stretched a little and her hand bumped into a soft but firm barrier on her other side. Her waking mind still couldn't figure out why she was wedged against a wall. As her eyes fluttered open, she saw the back of Silky's head and shoulder. Her mind instantly flashed with images from the night. Mara reached up and ran her hands over her face as her whole body suddenly felt warm at the memories. A smile crept across her face as she turned to look at the sleeping hockey player.<p>

As she moved to snuggle against him, the clock on the nightstand caught her eye. It read five forty-five. Bolting upright, Mara scrambled from the bed to find her clothes. There was no point trying to wake him. She wasn't making any effort to be quiet and in her haste to pull on her shorts, Mara fell against the foot of the bed. Silky didn't even stir.

With all of her belongings accounted for, Mara opened the door slowly. She peered up and down the hallway, praying that she could leave without being seen. With no one in sight, she stepped out and closed the door with as little sound as possible. Hastening toward the exit, Mara tossed a look back over her should and then promptly felt herself collide, full body, with someone who had just come out of their room. She stumbled backwards a few steps, but a pair of hands reached out to steady her. Mortified, she look up at Rob's bewildered face. Before she even opened her mouth to explain, Rob pushed her into this room.

"What're you…" he started to ask, but it quickly dawned on him. "You slept with him, didn't you?"

Mara felt her cheeks burn under his accurate accusation. "It's none of your business, Rob!"

"Well, it won't stay a secret for long," he informed her pointedly.

"Go ahead and put my name on that damn list – yes, I know about the list," she snapped back, irritated that he had impeded her exit. He was treating her like a child caught doing something bad rather than a friend. "I don't care one bit. I could have made it out of here if you hadn't brought me in here!"

"Fine! Get out of here. I was just trying to help," he replied, turning his back on her and picking up some clothes from the floor.

"I didn't ask for it," she grumbled before leaving the room, not bothering to see if the coast was clear. If she had looked around, Mara would have seen the two wide-eyed hockey players that exited the bathroom just as she started down the hall.


	11. Falling

Before heading over to the rink, Mara decided to stop by Nora's apartment to shower and borrow a more suitable change of clothes. It would be much easier to field questions from her best friend than from her parents. Mara was relieved to find Nora at home, awake, and alone. The on-slot of questions came after Mara cleaned up and helped herself to come coffee. The two girls sat in Nora's tiny kitchen as they debriefed the last twelve hours.

"So, you obviously didn't make it home last night?" Nora half asked, half stated.

Mara smiled wryly over the top of her cup. She shook her head and then took a sip.

"And?" Nora encouraged, raising her eyebrows. "Spill it!"

Setting her cup carefully on the table, Mara looked over at her friend and sighed with a whimsical smile. "I'm falling for him, Nora."

"That good, eh?"

"It's not just because of last night," Mara replied with a laugh and then smirked. "But yeah, it was quite good." Nora chuckled and Mara continued, thinking very seriously about the next part. "It's definitely complicated though, isn't it?"

"How do you mean?"

"Haven't you thought about what happens if Baker gets cut?"

"Not really." Nora shrugged, sipping her coffee. "Why? You don't think Silky will get cut, do you?"

"That's just it, I don't know. He doesn't seem real confident about making the final roster. Even if they make the final team, what happens when it's all over?"

"You're getting a little ahead of yourself, Mara. A lot can happen in the next three months," Nora reminded her. "Just take it a day at a time – have a little fun. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about post-Olympics too. I will to wait and find out."

"You're right – I'm being crazy." Mara gave her head a shake to clear away the intense thoughts.

"You said you were falling for him," Nora added brightly. "Don't think about it too much. Silky's a good player. He'll go to the games."

"They are all good players," Mara added just as she took notice of the time. Leaping from her seat, she cursed, "Damn, I'm going to be late. I'll see you later."

"Let's have a girls' night tonight," Nora suggested to which Mara shouted her approval.

* * *

><p>Her sentence for arriving late was general maintenance around the building. The list that she had been given was extensive and random. In particular, a row of seats had come loose during a North Stars game the night before. Apparently the culprits were a rowdy bunch of college students that had to be escorted from the arena because they had been such a disturbance. Cutting through the hallway that led to the locker rooms, Mara carried a toolbox in one hand. A couple of the boys were out stretching before practice as she walked by. They heckled her a bit.<p>

"If your bed hopping, you're welcome in mine any time," Verchota chirped with a toothy grin.

Mara tossed a look back over her shoulder, not quite hearing what he said. She threw a confused half-smile at him. One of them must have said something under their breath because they all laughed at the same time. Shaking her head, Mara completely dismissed the encounter since it had been Verchota.

She went to work, repairing all the odds and ends on the list. The row of seats was a quick fix because they simply needed the bolts on the floor tightened. Up on the catwalk, high above the ice, Mara worked on some lighting issues. Having finished swapping out some bulbs, she paused for a moment for watch the boys from the bird's eye view, unnoticed. Herb shouted at them about the last drill and then blew his whistle. The boys skated around the ice, but it still wasn't to Herb's liking because he yelled at Rizzo. In the next shift, Mara watched as two players collided rather heavily, which resulted in them shoving at one another as emotions ran high. The names of the two players rose up from below: Silky and Mac. Mara was surprised. Herb really must have been needling the two them to rile them to the point of shoving each other. She watched for a few more minutes and then resumed her duties.

As the morning skate came to a close and each item was neatly checked off the list, Mara decided to wait in the parking lot to see if Silky wanted to grab some lunch during their break. The back lot had a much different feel in the middle of the day and not teeming with vultures. Slowly, the boys trickled out of the arena. Most of them acknowledged her in some fashion as they passed. When he saw her waiting, Verchota came right over. Mara offered him a smile, hoping maybe he'd explain the weird comment from earlier.

Verchota clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Now, I would have expected this from Nora, but not from you. I thought you had a better head on your shoulders."

Mara's smile faltered as she absorbed his words. She stared at him blankly for a moment, trying to find a reason for such a statement. "Expected what exactly?"

"Ah, so you're both going to deny it? Classic. Have you been toying with Silky this whole time?"

Mara gaped at him, bewildered and irritated by his attitude. "I don't know what you're talking about, Philly. I'm not toying with anyone – least of all Dave."

"Oh no, I get it. You messed around with Silky to make Mac jealous. Well, this was a piss poor time to try that tactic. Like I said, I never would have expected this from you."

Mara had no idea how to respond to such accusations. His words were so hurtful. She would never use anyone like that. Where was this all coming from? Verchota had been straightened out regarding her relationship with Rob, so why was he harassing her about him? From what she could tell, it wasn't a joke.

"Well, Mara, your name finally made the list," Ralph announced as he walked up beside them, not sensing the tension. "I just didn't think it'd be with Mac."

"What!" Mara shouted, looking wildly between the two hockey players. She must have heard that wrong. "Did you just say Mac?"

It was chilly outside on that first day of November, but suddenly her entire body felt icy as everything unfolded in her mind. She could hardly string two words together as about a million emotions erupted inside her at once. Someone must have seen her leaving Rob's room. Her hands flew up and covered her face as she tried to process it all.

"Who put my name on that list?" she demanded as her hands slid away from her face.

"I don't know," Ralph said with a shrug. "Saw it when I went in for a shower."

"I did," Verchota admitted without a look of remorse. "Me and Janny saw you coming out of Mac's room this morning. We couldn't believe it."

Closing her eyes, Mara tried to calm the new thoughts and emotions that ran through her mind. She felt tears welling behind her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she fixed a steely gaze on Verchota. "I guess it was my mistake to think that we might be friends, Phil." She swallowed hard, keeping her emotions in check as she spoke. "It's one thing to put some one-night stand on your stupid list, but we've known each other for three years now. I think I deserved a little more respect from you of all people."

It was Verchota's turn to stare at her blankly, unable to find words to dispute what she said. Ralph shifted uncomfortably as Mara continued to shout loudly.

"And just so we're clear, I did not sleep with Rob McClanahan!"

"I've told them that!" Rob yelled suddenly. As he approached the trio, he did not look pleased.

"I'm going to go," Ralph said with a tiny salute as Mara turned her tirade on Rob.

"If you had just let me leave this morning, this wouldn't even be an issue. I don't even care that my name is on your stupid ass list, but it shouldn't be with anyone expect Silky. This is ridiculous. I understand how important this team is to all of you. I would not do anything to ruin it. You know that!"

Those last three words were directed at Silky as he neared. He had caught the tail end of her rant at Rob. She rounded on Verchota once more.

"I can't believe you think I'm that kind of girl," she growled, shoving Verchota in the shoulder as she pushed passed him. Throwing up her hands, Mara stalked toward the car. Her entire body was shaking with anger. The tears that she had managed to suppress ran down her cheeks.

She was so disappointed by Verchota's quick conclusion of what he had seen. She knew how it looked – leaving Rob's room so early in the morning – but when had she given them any reason to think she'd move between boys so easily? With her hands shaking, Mara fumbled her keys when she went to unlock the door. This momentary set back in her escape provided Silky the opportunity to catch up to her. Out of the corner of her eye, Mara watched him close in. She worked to calm herself down before the conversation.

"Do you want to explain why you were in Mac's room this morning?"

"We ran into each other in the hallway when I was leaving. I think he wanted to be helpful, but a fat lot of good it did." Wiping her nose on the back of her sleeve, Mara sniffed. "I wish they would have just seen me leave your room, because that is the truth."

"So, there is nothing going on between you and Mac?"

Mara frowned, unimpressed by the question. "I'm pretty sure you can answer that one on your own."

Opening the car door, Mara threw herself in and drove away without another word. She was furious at all the parties involved in this mess. Angry with Rob for creating the problem; pissed at Verchota for not acting like a friend and fueling the fire; and upset with Silky because he asked the one question that could hit a nerve. But most importantly, she was mad at herself for storming off the way she did, acting so childishly. There was no reason for them to think that she was harboring feelings for Rob McClanahan and simply passing the time with Silky until the situation changed. This infuriated her the most.

* * *

><p>"Well, here's to all three of us being on that stupid ass list," Nora said lightly, raising her wine glass in a toast.<p>

Mara tapped her glass against Nora's before taking a sip. "At least the two of you have been recorded accurately. They think I'm a whore."

"No one thinks you're a whore," Kelsey assured her while Nora agreed.

"If anyone deserves that particular title, it's me. I've been with Verchota and Baker," Nora admitted, mentally calculating the number. Mara shot her a pointed look to which she added, "Fine, Janny and Strobel too."

Kelsey looked at Nora with wide eyes, choking a little on her drink. "Are you serious?"

Nora nodded. "It wasn't like it all happened in one night."

"Just over the last four years," Mara interjected. "And don't forget you wanted to add Jack to the list until Baker got in the way."

"Yeah, I still haven't figured out how that happened." Nora sighed, happily annoyed. "But enough about that – what are you going to do, Mara?"

"I don't know. I may just have to wait until the rest of the world realizes that I don't have feelings for Rob McClanahan."

"Do you think Rob has feelings for you?" Kelsey asked, choosing her words carefully. The two other girls stared at her for a moment.

"What? No, he can't possibly. He had four years to make a move, but didn't."

Nora nodded slowly, pondering the thought and then said, "True, but maybe the circumstances were never right? I mean, you did date that piece of garbage, Aaron, for a while."

Mara made a face. "I do not need to be reminded about that wasted time, thank you very much."

"I can't help but wonder what other reason Verchota would have to think that you and Rob hooked up," Kelsey added with a shrug.

"He doesn't need a reason to cause trouble," Nora replied, her lip curling into a scowl. Mara agreed and sighed exasperatedly.

"I just want a do-over. This is not my fault!"

"It's not Silky's fault either," Kelsey pointed out.

Mara pursed her lips, not denying the truthful statement.

Nora had Kelsey fixed with a calculating stare before she spoke. "I'm not going to let, but I thought you'd be all, 'hockey players are scum.'"

Kelsey's eyes darted between her two friends. She took a big swig of her drink and grinned sheepishly. Nora jumped in before Kelsey had any chance to speak.

"You're back together with Bah, aren't you?"

A silent nod confirmed what was already suspected.

"Have we turned into vultures?" Mara blurted out. She was being completely serious. This was something that had been on her mind for a while now. "I feel like we've turned into vultures."

"No, Mara. We have not turned into vultures." Nora narrowed her eyes. "If you'd like a refresher course in Vulture 101, I would suggest that we go to Sanford Hall, Sally's, or wherever else the team might be hanging out tonight."

"I like that idea," Kelsey said with a wry grin.

"No. We said this would be a girls' night," Mara replied, eyeballing her co-worker. "Besides, I want to hear more about this business of you and Bah being back together."

Kelsey sighed, knowing that she could not skirt around the subject. "We talked last night after my shift was over. It turns about he wasn't talking about me that night. I caught the wrong part of a conversation about an old flame in Duluth, who was apparently at the club too."

"You believe him?" Nora asked with an air of skepticism. Kelsey assured the pair of them that she felt he was sincere.

"I don't find it hard to believe, actually," Mara said. "He seemed genuinely surprised when I told him you'd left, but I didn't let myself see that in the moment. I was so caught up in how upset you were, Kel."

"Yeah, Bah mentioned you reamed him out that night. I think he might be a little afraid of you, Mara," Kelsey told her with a laugh.

"Well, he's not the only player I've yelled at," Mara said with a chuckle. "Someone has to help keep these boys in line. I'm doing my best."

"I think someone needs to keep us in line," Nora replied with a laugh.

Mara nodded. "I propose we take a small break. Tonight was a girls' night in. Let's have a girls' night out next weekend – just us."

"But the boys will be gone all week," Kelsey whined, pouting a little. "I was going to make plans with Bah on Friday night."

"There is always Saturday."


	12. Mutual Status

A/N: I've done some edited to the story. Nothing major, but I did rework the end of Chapter 11. I think it makes a little more sense. Just a heads up.

* * *

><p>It took a lot of convincing on Mara's part, but finally Kelsey and Nora came around to the idea of a girls' night out on the town. It had been a really good time, but then they stopped at O'Malley's.<p>

"What the hell are they doing here?" Mara groaned. It didn't take the trio long to spot a couple of familiar faces in the crowd. "I figured they'd be at Sally's if they went out. Unless of course…"

Kelsey cowered under Mara's gaze. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself."

"Look, we haven't been spotted yet so let's get some drinks at the bar. We'll form a plan of attack," Nora suggested.

Mara liked this tactic. She wasn't quite ready to face all the boys at once. When drinks were in hand, the girls lingered by the bar. Three pairs of eyes roamed the room, taking stock of which boys had come out, where they were, and what they were doing. A few of them were on the dance floor. Others were at the other bar across the room. It took them longer to spot the table where a handful more were camped out.

"Don't look now, Mara, but someone's taking advantage of your absence."

Following Nora's gaze, Mara wasn't all that surprised to find the girl who had made it her mission in life to leech onto Silky at every available opportunity, Jeanine. Silky had his arm resting on the back of chair that Jeanine was sitting in, and the vulture looked absolutely smitten. For a fleeting moment, Mara pictured herself walking across the room and dumping her drink over the top of the girl's head, but then it passed and Mara just stared, watching their interaction with narrowed eyes.

"That's nothing new. She's been working on him for months."

"Shall we go over and break up the party?" Nora asked with a sly grin.

"I'm not ready just yet, but you go." Mara tossed a look at Kelsey but realized she disappeared. A quick scan of the room found Kelsey wrapped around Bah on the dance floor. With Nora weaving her way toward the table of hockey players, Mara was left standing alone. She did not have much time to process being alone because all of the sudden someone held up a shot glass in front of her face.

"You look like you could use this."

"What's in it?" Mara asked, taking the tiny glass and peering down at the liquid with uncertainty.

"It's just tequila. I actually bought it for someone else but then I saw you standing here all pathetic-like, so I figured you needed it more."

"Gee thanks, Jack. You sure know how to make a girl feel special!" Mara eyed the liquor skeptically, knowing the contents would be of the cheap variety. Without thinking about it further, she tilted her head back and downed the liquid, pulling a face as it burned her throat.

"That's a girl," Jack said with a wry grin. "Now, come on – I can't just leave you here."

Mara grinned appreciatively and followed Jack across the room to where Christian, Jimmy, and Suter were standing with a group of simpering girls. She was immediately greeted by multiple unfriendly once-overs by the girls while saying hello to the boys. Jack was quickly reclaimed by the girl who likely should have received the shot. She sneered at Mara outright. It took every ounce of will power in her not to roll her eyes and walk away, but Mara wasn't about to let them think they had the upper hand. Instead, she smiled sweetly.

"I don't think we've ever met," she said, looking Jack's girl square in the eye. "I've seen you around though – at games, I think. I'm Mara."

The girl considered Mara for a moment and then replied, rather reluctantly. "I'm Karen – that's Julie and Colleen."

"We go to as many games as we can," Julie added matter-of-factly.

It was not news to Mara. These girls practically had the word 'vulture' stamped across their foreheads. They were part of the convergence that waited outside the rink after games. In fact, Mara was almost certain that Jeanine was a part of their flock. It would explain the disdain radiating from their every look. But Mara continued to smile, ignoring the looks of amusement from the boys.

"It's nice to meet all of you." She paused to see if they would take the conversation any further. When it didn't seem likely, she eyed both Julie and Colleen, not sure which one she would offend the most, and asked, "Can I steal Davey for a dance?"

Colleen pressed her lips together. It was very clear that she did mind, but silently shook her head, no. Mara flashed a smile and then pulled Christian onto the dance floor, relieved to be away from the tension.

"You're good," Christian said simply. He looked impressed by something.

"What do you mean?"

"How'd you know I wanted out of there?"

"I didn't." Mara laughed. "I knew if I asked Jack that Karen girl would probably try to rip my hair out. I don't know Jimmy or Suter all that well, so you were the winner."

"Lucky me," he replied with a grin. 'You seem pretty scrappy. I bet you'd take that girl in a fight."

Smiling, Mara said, "So, no interest in Colleen, eh?"

Christian shook his head. "Do you remember Cindy – from the club a few weeks ago?"

"Is she the one that broke Jack's heart?"

"Yeah," Christian said with a chuckle. "We've been seeing each other since that night, as much as we can."

Mara was just about to offer a positive reply when Verchota moved beside them with his dance partner.

"So you're moving in on Davey now, Mara?"

Her expression grew dark. "What the hell do you think?"

"I think you're going to ruin this team."

Mara's jaw dropped. It felt like someone punched her in the chest.

Even Christian looked stunned by the comment, but spoke up in her defense. "Leave her alone, Philly. We were just dancing. No harm in that."

Verchota replied, but Mara didn't hear it. She was too focused on his last comment. Is that really what people thought? Suddenly the room felt very hot. If she didn't get fresh air immediately, she was afraid she would pass out. Turning away from the two bickering hockey players, Mara pushed through the crowd.

Throwing herself outside, the cold air hit her like a brick wall, but it cleared her mind instantly. She still felt a little dizzy from the surge of emotion. The phrase "ruin this team" ran through her head. Feeling a sudden rush in her stomach, Mara leaned over a nearby garbage can just in time to be sick.

"Are you okay?"

Mara did not need to look up. She knew that voice. He was always around at the worse possible moment. It was becoming a trend. At least now she felt a little better and could deal with him accordingly.

"No, I'm not," she snapped, straightening up. "I have too much to drink and Philly just…"

The words caught in her throat. Rob was the last person she wanted to talk to about Verchota. He stared at her in anticipation of his teammate's latest antics. "What did he do?"

"Forget it. It's not important." Mara paused and studied Rob for a moment while she determined what to say next. His eyebrows were knit together with obvious concern after witnessing her vomit. He watched her intently as she made up her mind to just ask him point blank. "Have you ever had feelings for me as more than a friend?"

Rob looked momentarily baffled by such a direct question, but quickly pulled himself together to answer a simple, "Yes."

"When?"

"I don't know – off and on for the last four years."

"And now?"

"We're friends, aren't we?" He seemed frustrated by the questions. "Why are you asking?"

"Good. Friends is great!" she replied, relieved. "I think other people are too invested in our relationship. It makes me crazy. I keep wondering if there is something I'm missing – you know?"

"I think I do," Rob said with a nod. "So, what did Philly do now?"

Mara heaved a sigh. 'He was teasing me about dancing with Davey and then took it too far – said I would ruin the team."

"That's harsh even for Phil," Rob replied, shaking his head.

"The only thing I can figure, knowing him, it's probably about some stupid bet he made," Mara said with a laugh and then added sarcastically, "When will Rob and Mara finally hook up?"

"Yeah, too bad for him, that already happened," Rob said with a grin.

Mara nodded, suddenly forced to remember the night she spent with Rob almost two years ago. It was something they rarely spoke about, so it surprised her that he brought it up now. The little trip down memory lane was cut short as Nora stepped out on the street and charged toward them. She was clearly on a mission.

"Damn it, Mara! I've been looking all over for you." Nora paused to assess the situation. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Not at all," Rob replied quickly.

"We were just agreeing on our mutual status as friends," Mara added, glad to be done with that conversation. "No big deal."

Nora looked amused, but then remembered why she had been searching for Mara. "So, you're going to want to go inside and straighten out your boyfriend. He is absolutely trashed – and if you don't intervene, he will probably end up taking that Jeanine skank home with him."

"Are you serious?"

"They are looking awfully cozy on the dance floor, Mar. I went looking for you and ran into Davey. He told me you were out here."

"I'll kill him if that happens," Rob said with a dark expression.

"I don't need your help, Robbie," Mara explained. "I can take care of this on my own."


End file.
